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HISTORY OF MY OWN TIMES: 



OR, THE 

I hi 

LIFE AND ADVENTURES 



OF 



WILLIAM OTTER, Sen 



COMPRISING 



A SERIES OF EVENTS, AND MUSICAL INCIDENTS 
ALTOGETHER ORIGINAL. 



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EMMITSBUR6?Pf i;^' . ,; -^^^ 



1835. 



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PREFACE. 

The purpose for which the author princi- 
pally intends his book, you will find in the 
sequel of this preface; that many words will 
not be spent to inform all those into whose 
hands his production may fall, that it is not 
expressly for the use and instruction of chil- 
dren — who, being as it were, blank paper, 
taking all upon credit; if that were the author's 
intention, the first comer might write saint or 
devil upon it, which he pleased. 

To avoid such a verdict being pronounced, 
he does not intend either to labor very hard; 
that it was hastily got up, and ushered into 
the world before it was properly matured — ■ 
as hasty publications are denounced by the 
public as a "crime." Our author is well 
aware that to brag and make professions in 
his dedication, as the practice of some writers 
of now a-days is, would be a digression upon 
the good sense and clear understanding of 
those into whose hands the work may fall, 
if he were to endeavor to convince the world 
of his exquisite comical quirks; and in trying 
to convince them so far, as to get admirers of 
his hasty production, how little time and pains 



IV 

he consumed and bestowed upon it. He is 
aware that the public would take him at his 
word, and spare themselves the trouble of 
perusing the "History of his Own Times," — 
which they reasonably could infer, as they 
v/ould be assured before hand, that it is faulty 
through idleness, impatience, or wilful neglect 
in the author. 

Well aware, in all his undertakings, never 
to do or say any thing which does not run 
sn^oothly and with the grain-knowing ourselves 
as we should do, so necessary upon all occa- 
sions; he will make his readers and himself too, 
as happy as a delicate and refined judgment 
is capable of; and in the plenitude of his own 
veracity he will give, free from coloring, a 
clear conception and precise account, of all the 
scrapes he had a hand in, jointly or severally. 

Feeling assured, that those amongst whom 
he has spent the last twenty years of his lifie, 
would, if called upon, bear him out in tlie 
sincerity, and the sovereignty of truth, of the 
t'History of his Own Times;" and as an intelli- 
gent and musical community will have the 
pleasure of judging for themselves, he confi- 
dently commits it into their hands with plea- 
sure, leaving them to their own conclusions* 

The Author 



HISTORY OF MY OWN TIMES. 



I was born on the 1 9th day of July, in the 
year 1 789, in the city of Fhill, in Yorkshire, 
England. As I intend to write a faithful his- 
tory of my own times, 1 will not trespass upon 
the reader's patience, to give him the trouble 
of perusing the genealogy of my ancestry. Suf- 
fice to say, I was born of poor but honest pa- 
rentage. One day my father ordered me to 
weed the garden, he being by profession a gar- 
dener. On his return home in the evening, he 
inquired into the matter, how far I had obey- 
ed his orders, and having found that I had dis- 
obeyed them, he, in the plentitude of his good- 
ness, got hold of me, and gave me a genteel 
wallopping. Upon the receipt of the flagella- 
tion aforesaid, being in the eleventh year of 
my age, I bade my father and mother a leg 
bail good bye. 

After I had got away from my parents, I 
1* 



6 

went to the dock in the city of my nativity, in 
quest of a master, and at length I succeeded 
in finding one, in a gentleman whose name was 
Gardener. To Mr. Gardener I represented 
myself as an orphan, whose feelings of philan- 
thropy were awakened for my forlorn condi- 
tion; to him I bound myself for seven years as 
a cabin boy, and sailed under Captain Clark. 
Our first expedition was destined to Green- 
land, and after a voyage of about six weeks, 
we arrived at the place of our destination. 
The Greenland fleet having all safely arrived, 
after about eight days, our captain went on 
board the ship Jane, to dine; our chief mate, 
in the absence of the captain, amused himself 
in company with a few others, with the history 
of the four kings; the watch on deck was a lit- 
tle groggy, and I was in the galley putting on 
my tea-kettle for tea. The first thing I knew 
was, I was upset off of my three legged stool, 
and the tea-kettle between my legs. I scrambled 
and succeeded in gettjng upon my feet, and 
the first thing that I saw, was a hole stove in 
the bow of the ship, about two feet long. All 
hands, (except our cook, who was in his bed 



7 

and was lost,) jumped upon the mountain of ice, 
which had broken our vessel; and in the short 
space of about five minutes our vessel went 
down about half mast high. We saved noth- 
ing belonging to her, only a part of the sails, 
the fore-top sail, the fore-top-gallant sail, the 
main-top sail, the main-top-gallant sail, the mi- 
zen-top sail. The crew was fifty-two in num- 
ber; there we were in a most awful situation; 
upon a mountain of ice at least one hundred 
miles long, without provisions or bedding, 
floating ever and anon; to keep alive we 
wrapped ourselves in the few sails we saved 
from our sinking ship. 

In this painful and perilous situation we re- 
mained about twenty-five hours. At length 
the ship Jane hove in sight; we hoisted signals 
of distress, and were taken in by her. Our 
captain being on board of the ship Jane, be- 
longing to the Greenland whale fishery fleet. 
The crew was then shared out among other 
crews, to work their way home again, except- 
ing nine boys, of which I was one of the num- 
ber, our captain retained on board of the ship 
Jane. The prizes the ship Jane made during 



8 

our voyage, consisted of eight whales, upwards 
of two hundred seals, and two Polar bears. 
On our way home we fell in wath his Majes- 
ty's fleet, who pressed us into the King's ser- 
vice for life. 

In this new sphere of action my avocations 
became of somewhat a different character than 
that of catching whales, seals, and bears. My 
daily occupation was to feed about fifty pris- 
oners, whom they had in chains, being a pris- 
on ship called the Nonesuch, carrying seven- 
ty-four guns, and having about two hundred 
prisoners in all on board, chiefly Americans. 

The first harbor we put in after I had been 
placed on the last named ship, was in Shetland 
harbor, in the Shetland Islands, tc change wa- 
ter. After we had changed water, we put to 
sea, and cruised about in quest of hands. While 
employed in the occupation of feeder of prison- 
ers, an altercation one day took place between 
myself and an old man, an American, whose 
name was John Wilson, a tarpaulin. In our 
quarrel he had the audacity, as I thought, to 
call me an English bugger, by way of oflsctt I 
stigmatized him, old rebel, as the Americans 



9 

were usually styled in the King's fleet. He 
told me if he lived to regain his liberty, he 
would kick me to where the old boy would 
not find me in a week. In reply to his, as I 
thought, vicious and rascally notions, I told 
him that I would feed him on the bony pieces 
on the platter; that the old boy could not chew 
him at all, and that was his daily rations; all the 
bony pieces on the platler fell to Mr. "Wil- 
son, as long as I was held in the office of feed- 
er. After the lapse of about one year, from 
the time Mr. Wilson and myself had our con- 
fab, of which, in point of plain, hard swearing, 
he fairly outdone me, I was promoted to a 
cabin boy. 

After my promotion to a cabin boy, we 
cruised a! )ut nine months; one moonlight night 
a sail hove in sight, captain Rodgers, command* 
er of the Nonesuch, gave orders to bear down 
on her. As we bore down on her, she put out 
her lights. When within speaking distancet 
the captain hailed her, "from whence came 
you;" to which question no answer was made; 
the captain gave orders to give him the two 
bow guns. My occupation was to hold the 
match, and that was the only time I ever said 



10 

my prayers while at sea; after she had recei- 
ved our two shots given her from our bow 
guns, she hove to. We then boarded her, and 
made her captain come on board of the None- 
such, and was asked by captain Rodgers, where 
he was bound to; he told captain Rodgers that 
he was bound for Europe. Captain Rodgers 
gave him a few for not answering his Majes- 
ty's ship when spoken to. Rodgers asked the 
captain of the small craft what his cargo was; 
he answered, sugar, rum, and coffee. Captain 
Rodgers ordered them to hoist out a hogshead 
of rum, and some coffee, and sugar, examined 
his books and then let him go. 

The next port we made for was that of Lon- 
don. While there, the prisoners we held in 
chains on board the Nonesuch, were placed on 
board of the tender, being a guard ship. While 
at London, we supplied our stores with pro- 
visions; and while there I obtained liberty 
to go on shore every day in company with the 
officer of the day, to market, to carry provi- 
sions on board of our ship. One evening the 
officers w^ere invited to a dancing party; after 
supper being over, I went to shake out the ta- 
ble cloth, on deck, it was one of the darkest 



11 

nignts I had ever seen, I heard three of the 
crew talking that they would desert the ship 
that night: I stepped up to them, and told 
them that I would go along. One of them 
swore and said if I said one word about their 
intention to desert, he would knock me over- 
board. After a considerable time spent by 
them in consultation, they came to the con- 
clusion to take me along, provided I kept quiet. 
They instructed me to go and keep myself in 
readiness at the bow of the ship; and down the 
cable we went, one by one. I got on the 
back of one of the three who had thus far 
effected our escape; he had a head of very 
fine long hair, of which I availed myself: while 
on his back I conceived my situation to be 
somewhat perilous. I of course stuck close 
to him like a tick, and twisted my hand in his 
hair, he made several efforts to shake me off, 
but I would not let go my hold; after a con- 
siderable struggle, we at length arrived safe 
on the beach, after tugging about the distance 
of half a mile through the water of the river 
Thames. We then, after we got on terra- 
firma, walked along the beach till nearly day 
light; being exceedingly fatigued from the ef- 
forts we made to make our escape; weary and 



12 

tired, we laid down on a sand beach to resus- 
citate our exhausted limbs, and by the alarm 
of the morning gun at the fort, in the vicinity 
of London, I was awakened, and found my- 
self alone. I cast my eyes up and down the 
shore, not knowing which way to go. I 
crawled up the bank, and walked about one 
mile; I came to a place where two men were 
digging in a garden; I bade tliese codgers good 
morning. One of them, somewhat of an in- 
quisitive turn of mind, inquired of me, where 
I was going to; in reply to his inquiry, 1 
answered him, that 1 did not know; he then 
asked me where 1 had come from; I told him 
1 came from off his majesty's ship, lying in 
the stream: he asked me how I got away; I 
told him that three men of the crew and my- 
self had deserted; he then asked me where 
the three men were that had fled with me; I 
answered him, they had left me that morning 
on the beach. His companion observed that 
they could make five guineas on the lad if we 
take him to his Majesty. At his observation 
to his fellow-comrade, I began to cry; one of 
them asked me if I belonged to London; I 
answered him I did not; that I belonged to 
Hull, in Yorkshire, and that I wanted to go 



13 

home to my father and mother. They then 
asked me how long I had been at sea; I told 
them about four years. They then asked me 
how I came in his Majesty's service; I told 
them that I left my parents, and sailed for 
Greenland; I was cast away on my return from 
thence, and placed on board of his Majesty's 
ship. He then asked my father's name, and 
what he followed; I told him his name was 
Edward Otter, and by profession a gardener. 
One of them said, he supposed that I was hun- 
gry; I told him I was; he took me to the house, 
and told the woman of the house to give me 
something to eat. I sat down and ate, and 
while eating, she asked whose lad 1 was; they 
told her that I had ran away from his Majes- 
ty's ship; and that they intended to take me 
back and make five guineas on me. She told 
them that that was too hard; she asked me 
where was my home; I told her in the city of 
Hull, in Yorkshire. She asked me if my pa- 
rents were living; I told her they were. She 
then asked me, would'nt you be very glad to 
see them; I told her that I would; which idea 
so overcame me that I began to cry; she add- 
ed, "I pity the poor lad;" John, said she to 
her husband, you ought to try to get the lad 
2 



14 

home. John told her he could, and that she 
should keep me safe till night. She took me 
up stairs, and told me not to be afraid, that 
they would do all they could for me. I 
thought that was the longest day I ever saw. 
That night they took me down, and gave me 
my supper; and his wife said to her hnsband, 
that she thought it would be best to send me 
down in a coal boat, on the canal, and at the 
same time advised to strip me of my navy 
cap and jacket; that she would exchange them 
by supplying me with citizen''s uniform. John 
then took me about three miles across the 
country, to the canal; he told the captain of 
the boat that here is a Yorkshire bite, mean- 
ing myself. The captain inquired of my pa- 
tron, what he was going to do with me; he 
told him that 1 had ran away from his Majes- 
ty's ship, and he wanted me to get home to my 
parents in Hull; he told the captain that it was 
hard for the poor lad. The captain's feelings 
were interested for me, and he told me that 
he would do all he could for me. The old 
fellow put in my possession a sixpence, and 
told me he now would leave me in the care of 
the captain of the canal boat, and bade me do 
the best I could, and bade me farewell. The 



15 

captain took me down the canal, about forty 
miles, and asked me if I would go back again 
with him; I answered him no. 

We landed at Newport, a small town, and 
w^ent into an ale-house; he told the landlord 
that here is a poor lad, ran away from his 
Majesty's service, and wanted to work his 
way down to Hull. O well, said the land- 
lord, I'll try and work him on. The cap- 
tain bought a quart of ale, some cheese and 
biscuit, and told me to put the biscuits in my 
pocket, and he then left me in the ale house. 
The landlord told me to walk about; that a 
hack stage would be along there, and to jump 
on behind; that it would carry me about ten 
miles. According to his directions, I wait- 
ed about half an hour. I seen the stage 
coming; the landlord says to me, "now my lad 
jump on; I put out, and rode about five miles, 
when one of the passengers got out to obey 
a call of nature; he came to the back part of 
the stage, and inquired of me, if I belonged 
to the stage; I told him no, I was taking a ride. 
The driver overheard us, and asked who was 
behind; the gentleman who had stepped out, 
told him, a boy. Slapbang, came his whip, 
and off I came in short order; acknowledging 



16 

piyment in full for my five miles ride. I then 
started after the stage on foot, and went on till 
I came to an ale-house; I entered the house 
and inquired of the landlord the distance from 
thence to the city of Hull; he told me it was 
near forty miles; the landlord asked me where 
1 came from; I answered, from tlie canal; he 
asked me if I lived at Hull; I told him I did 
I asked him for a drink, he gave me a drink 
of beer; he then asked me if I was a runaway, 
I told him no, that I belonged to a collier, and 
was on my way home; he then observed to me 
I had a long walk before me; upon which I 
bid him a good day. 

I trudged about four miles further, and came 
to a farm house along the road side. I there 
saw a man driving cattle; he says to me, high 
my lad, which way. I told him I was going 
to Hull, he asked me if I w ould hire; I asked 
him what to do, he said to mind cattle and 
sheep; I told him no. I travelled on and over- 
took a man who was driving a two horse cart, 
and he also asked me where I was going; I 
told him, to Hull; I then asked him how far 
he was going; he told me he was going to 
Beverly, a small town about fifteen miles from 
Hull; he then asked me, how far I was going 
that day; I told him I did not know; he asked 



17 

me where I came from; I told him as I did all 
the rest, that I came from the canal; he asked 
me if I lived in Hull; I told him I did; I then 
asked him how far he intended to go that 
day; he said about eight miles; I observed to 
him that w^ould be as far as I would be able 
to go; his next inquiry of me, was, if I had 
any money; I told him I had sixpence; he 
laughingly observed that such a small sum as 
that would not carry me to Hull; I then told 
him that I had bread and cheese in my pocket; 
he then made an offer to me, that if I would 
help him to clean his horses, I might stay with 
him for that night; which offer I accepted. 

We stopped at a widow woman's house for 
the night, and agreeably to our contract, I was 
to help to clean his horses, and having never 
in my life touched a horse before that time, I 
began to clean the horse at the foot; he came 
out and asked me how I came on, and seeing 
that his horses were not cleaned, he made free 
enough to tell me that they were not clean; [ 
insisted on it they were, and referred him to 
take a look at their feet; after our confab had 
ended about the horse cleaning business, we 

went to supper. Our landlady asked him if 

2* 



18 

I was his boy, he said no, that he picked me 
up on the road, she observed that I was a fine 
looking lad; and where was I going, address- 
ing herself to me, I told her I was going to 
Hull; she asked me if that was my home, I 
told her yes, she also asked me where I had 
been, I told her what I told the rest of idle and 
inquisitive inquirers, that I was from the canal, 
the next inquiry was directed to me how I came 
at the canal; 1 told her that an uncle of mine 
had taken me there, and that I was tired of it 
and was on my road home. After supper 
being over, I sat myself down on a bench and 
fell asleep, I had not slept long till the landlady 
awakened me, and observed to me that I had 
better go to bed, I answered her that I intend- 
ed to take my lodging for that night in the 
cart: Oh no! said she, that will be too bad, I 
then told her I had no money, she said to me 
that made no difference, I should go to bed, 
money or no money. I then, after her kind- 
ness being pro tiered to give me a bed, under 
my embarrassed pecuniary circumstances, 
accepted her offer and slept very soundly; in 
the morning when I awoke and looked rightly 
around me, the man that drove the two horse 
cart, was gone. Having no money, I felt em- 
barrassed, as I had not the means to remuner- 



19 

ate my kind hostess, laboring under difficul- 
ties which my mind could not solace; in this 
moment of suspense, my landlady asked me if 
I would eat something, I replied and said to 
her, that I was not hungry, when the contrary 
was the fact. I inquired of her how far it was 
to Beverly; about five miles was her reply to 
my inquiry; I next asked her if I should keep 
on that big road that lay along her house, she 
told me yes; being ashamed to leave her house 
without making her any kind of recompense, I 
pulled out my sixpence, which I had received 
from John who left me in charge wnth the boat- 
man. I told her, that that w^as all the money I 
had, offered the sixpence to her, she told me to 
keep it till I came to Beverly, observing to me 
that there I might w^ant it; I put up my money 
and bid her a good-bye, she told me to stop, I 
did SO; in the plenitude of her goodness she 
gave me some bread and cheese to put in my 
pocket, as a helper on the road, I thanked her 
for it very cordially, feeling quite rich, having 
as I thought the fat of the land safely stowed 
away in my pocket, and off I started for 
Beverly. 

I arrived at Beverly at about 1 1 o'clock A. 
M.; 1 went to a tavern where I saw a man 



20 

holding a horse at the door, I inquired of him 
which way led to Hull, he told me to go right 
down that street, until 1 came to the second 
square from there, then take to the right and 
keep on, that would take me to the pike. I 
travelled on about two miles, I came to a gate 
house, I asked the gatekeeper to give me a 
drink of water, he gave me a drink, I then 
asked him how far it was to Hull — he told me 
ten miles, he asked me if I lived there, I told 
him I did; he asked me where 1 came from, I 
told him from the canal; he asked me how I 
came all that way, coming from the canal, I 
replied that I knew of no other road, he asked 
me my name, I said my name was William 
Otter; a son of the Gardener? said he, I told 
him yes; said he how long have you been from 
home, I told him I had been from home about 
four years. My lad do you know that your 
parents have left this country and have gone 
to America two years ago; he took me into 
the house and presented me before his wife, 
saying this is a son of Edward Otter; she said 
that cannot be possible you know that Otter 
took all his diildren along; he then said, he 



21 

could not have done so if I was one of his 
children, she then asked me how many chil- 
dren my father had; I told her he had six, three 
boys and three girls, she asked me their names, 
I told her that the girls were named Harriett, 
Mary and Sarah, yes she said, catching the 
idea, that 'sright; he then asked me my brothers' 
names, i told him my brothers were James 
and Edward and mine was William-, he then 
touched me on a very delicate theme, for he 
asked me how 1 came to leave my parents, 
I told him the plain facts that my father whip- 
ped me and I ran away; where had I went to? 
I told him to Greenland, and had been cast 
away the first voyage, on my way home had 
been put on board of a man of war, and ran 
away from them in London, and am now on 
my way home. His wife said she did not 
know how I ever should see my parents again, 
yet has had now gone to America. That piece 
of intelligence was a damper to my feelings, 
I felt more down in the mouth about it, than 
any thing I had ever heard, he asked me if I 
would not eat something, I told him no, that I 
was not hungry, he told liis wife to get me some- 



22 

thing to eat, she did so, I sat down and began 
to eat, and while I was eating she called in 
her two little boys, and told them that there 
was a poor boy that had lost his father and 
mother, that they should be good boys, always 
do as their parents told them, using me as a 
kind of bug-bear to frighten her lads into 
obedience, which so much affected me that I 
could not eat another bite; he asked me if I 
knew where my uncle lived, I told him I did 
not, he told me that he lived in Handleby a 
small town about two miles from the city of 
Hull, that he taught school; I asked him how 
far it was to Handleby, he told me eight miles; 
I asked him if lie thought that I could get 
there that day, he said oh yes, I bade him 
good bye and put out. 

I walked six miles and my feet gave out, I 
met a boy, I inquired of him who Jived in that 
next house, he told me William "Wardel; I 
asked him if he thought that I could stay all 
night at that house, the boy told me oh yes, 
you can sleep with me. I told him my feet 
were so sore that I could not walk any farther; 
he then took me to the house, 1 told him to ask 



23 

for me if I could stay all night, he told his father 
here is a boy come to stay all night; his father 
asked me where I came from, I told him from 
the canal; he asked me where I was going to, 
I told him 1 was going to Handleby, he asked 
me if I lived there, I told him no. I have an 
uncle living there, he then asked me my uncle's 
name, I told him my uncle's name was James Ot- 
ter. What, said he, the school master, I told him 
yes, he asked my father's name, I told him 
Edward Otter; what said he, the gardener that 
lived in Hull; that can't be for he is gone to 
America and all his family, I told him that I 
was his son, though I had heard it too that 
they were gone to America, yet myself was 
here; he then asked why I did not go with 
them, I told him that I had been at sea; how 
long was you at sea, said he, I answered him I 
had been at sea about four years, he then asked 
me how it came that I went to sea and was so 
young, I told him my father whipped me at a 
time, and I ran away from him and bound 
myself for seven years in the Greenland trade; 
he then asked me how I got away, I said that 
I was cast away the first voyage, on my way 



24 

home I was taken on board the Nonesuch; he 
asked me how I got away from her, I told him 
that four of us came away in one night, he 
asked me where the rest of my comrades were, 
I told him they left me on the beach, and I 
never saw them since, he supposed that I had 
been a middling wild lad, I told him I did not 
know; said he if you go to Hull the press- 
gang will take you again, I told him that I 
supposed that they would not know me, he 
said that it made no odds about that, if they 
see you they will take you any how, he told me 
it would be best for me to go to my uncle and 
stay there; I told him I intended to go to him; 
by this time we were called into supper; when 
I arose from the supper table I could hardly 
walk, he asked me if I was lame, I told him 
my feet were blistered with walking only, he 
told me he supposed that I was not much 
used to walking, I told him no; he ordered the 
maid to make some hot water, and told me to 
go to the kitchen and bathe my feet in the warm 
water the maid had prepared for me, and to 
keep them in about a quarter of an hour, I did 
so; he then asked his son Tom if he would 



25 

sleep with me; he supposed that when my feet 
were well soaked that I should go to bed. In 
the meantime, the wife of Mr. Wardel had a 
curiosity to know if I carried about me any 
live lumber, such as seamen and soldiers are in 
the habit of associating with, and to come to 
a point with me, she asked me if I had no 
other clothes than those I had on, I told her 
I had the linen I wore, on my back about five 
days; Mr. Wardel told her she had better give 
me one of Thomas's as I had none to change, 
after I had made a fair exchange, the next 
thing they put me to bed in company with 
their son; I then asked Tom if he knew my 
uncle, he said yes, he added that he knew 
William and Edward both, he told me he was 
going to town the next day, he said that if I 
staid till after breakfast I might ride behind 
him, I told him that I could not that I had no 
money, he said his father would'nt charge me 
any thing, upon which assurance I agreed to 
stay. Being very much fatigued I feel asleep; 
the next morning breakfast was ready soon 
after we rose, we ate breakfast, and after 
breakfast I was for going ahead, 1 told him 1 
3 



26 

had no money to pay him, he said he did not 
mean to charge me any thing; said he I have 
more respect for your parents to charge you 
any thing, he then inquired of me how my feet 
was, I told him that they were a good deal better 
than they were the evening before; he told me 
to wait, that his son Thomas was going to town, 
and you can ride behind him and he will take 
you to your uncle. The horse was brought, 
I mounted behind his son Thomas. Thomas 
asked me as we were jogging along the road, 
if I intended to live with my uncle, I told him 
no, that I should try to get to America; he 
asked me how far that was, I told I did not 
know that, he asked me if I could walk there, 
I told him no, I'd have to go to sea again; says 
he to me, then you would have to run away 
again, I told him I did not know, he asked me 
if we stopped every night while at sea, I told 
him no indeed; says he I God I would'nt like to 
go; I then turned upon him and asked him what 
he worked at, at home; he said he minded the 
horses, cows and sheep, sometimes harrowed, 
carried coals, &c; he asked me what I had 
done at sea, I told him I waited on the table, 



27 

for the officers; he asked me if ever I got 
whipped, I told him yes, often; said he then 
I'd run off too. 

By this time the town of Handleby lay 
before us to our view; I asked him where- 
abouts in town my uncle lived, he told me 
right on the main road on to Hull; 1 asked him 
where the school-house was, he said just at 
the end of town; then we came to the store, 
where we both got off, he shewed me the 
house of my uncle, I bade him good bye. I 
went to my uncle's, I rapped at the door, I 
heard a female voice saying walk in, I went in 
and found my aunt sitting in the room, I asked 
her how she did, she said she was very weH^ 
she asked me to sit down, I asked her if my 
uncle was at home, she then asked me my 
name; I told her William Otter; a son of 
Edward Otter? I told her yes — my lord! she 
exclaimed, I thought you was dead three 
years ago; she told me to stay there; she went 
out and fetched my uncle from school, when she 
returned she was crying, my uncle came in 
and looked at me very sharp, and the first word 
he spoke, he said, why Bill is this you? 1 said 
yes that it was; he took me by the hand, and 



28 

asked me where in the name of God did I come 
from. The tears started in liis eyes, I told 
him I came from sea; he said that my father 
and mother had heard that I was drowned 
three years ago, he said he could hardly be- 
lieve it possible that it was me, he asked me 
if I had eat any thing that day; he told me to 
wait, he would get a young man to teach his 
scliool for that da}; my aunt asked me if I 
would like to see my father and mother; 
many an hour, continued my aunt, was your 
mother here, and cried about you; she said 
she would give any thing in the world if my 
mother was there now. By this time my uncle 
came in, and sat down by me, and told me now 
to tell him where I had been, he told his wife 
he could not believe that it was me; he asked 
me what made me leave my father, 1 told him 
my father whipped me for not weeding the 
garden, my aunt said that was true, my mother 
had told her many times; my uncle repeated, 
can it be possible, that you are here yet.^ for 
your father heard it a many a time that you 
was lost in Greenland, your father heard by 
the ship Jane, that the ship you sailed in was 
lost and all her crew; I told him that our ship 
was lost, but the whole crew was picked up 



29 

by the ship Jane, off' a mountain of ice, (all 
except our cook, he was lost,) that we were 
shared out, a boat's crew on one ship, another 
boat's crew on another ship, until we were all 
shared out, all but us nine boys; we remained 
on board the ship Jane, and on our way home 
was pressed on board the Nonesuch for life; 1 
cruised about until we got to London, four of 
us run away, then I came down the canal to 
Newport, from Newport to Beverly and from 
Beverly here. 

Well my lad, you have undergone more than 
ever I should like to undergo said my uncle to 
me; my uncle observed to my aunt, we must 
keep Bill very close, for if the press-gang 
find him out they will take him again; would 
you like to stay with me, or would you like 
to go after your father and mother to America? 
I told my uncle I would prefer to go after my 
father and mother, he said he did not know 
how to contrive ever to get me there, but as 
I had so much good luck, he hoped that there 
was more in store for me; I asked him if he 
knew Captain Clark, in Hull; he said he did 
not, but he would try to find him out if he 
could do me any good, he asked me what 

Captain Clark could do for me; I told him I 

3* 



30 

knew if I could see him, that he could help me 
off; he asked me if I could depend on him, I 
told him I could; he told me he would go to 
Hull the next day; he asked me if I knew 
where he lived, I told him the time I went to 
sea that he lived in Dock street. My uncle 
went the next morning; he went to Dock street; 
Mr. Clark had left there, and moved to a 
place called the Walls, near \he garrison; he 
went to his house, asked for Captain Clark, 
his wife told him that he was on board the 
ship at the Dock, that she would send for him, 
he then waited until Mr. Clark came, he asked 
if ever he had a boy bound to him of the name 
of William Otter; he said he did not know, he 
would look at his sea Journal, that he could 
tell him in a short time; he looked at his Jour- 
nal and found an orphan boy of that name; he 
then asked Captain Clark where he had lost 
me, or where 1 had left him; he told him that 
they were all cast away in Greenland, we 
were all taken on board the Nonesuch by a 
press-gang; he then asked my uncle if he knew 
me, he told the Captain yes, that he was my 
uncle; he then asked my uncle if ever he had 
heard of me since, my uncle told him yes, that 
I had arrived at his house yesterday; said the 



31 

Captain, the devil he has! Captain Clark re- 
quested of my uncle to bring me to him some 
night, saying that he would try his best to get 
me off to America; my uncle told him that he 
would bring me to him. 

After this interview had ended between my 
uncle and Captain Clark, my uncle returned 
home; I asked my uncle if he had seen Cap- 
tain Clark, he said that he had, and related to 
me all Captain Clark said to him. I asked my 
uncle where the Captain lived, he told me that 
he resided near the Walls, observing to me that 
we would go there the next evening. When 
evening came, the day appointed to go, my 
uncle took me on the horse behind him, and 
took me to the Captain's house; on our arrival 
at his house he was not at home, the Captain's 
lady asked us to walk in; slie told us that it 
would not be long until he would be in; my 
uncle told her that this was the boy that be- 
longed to the Captain, she observed that I was a 
fine hearty looking boy; she asked me how long 
I had been on board his majesty's ship: I told 
her nearly four years: she asked me how I 
liked it, I told her not very well. By this 
time the Captain came in, my uncle arose at 
the entrance of the Captain, and bade him a 



32 

good evening, and told him here is the boy: 
Ah! said the Captain, is this the lad; said he, 
come Iiere my lad, asked me if I knew him, 
I answered him yes sir, he then asked me if 
ever I was in Greenland, I told him I was; I 
then told him I was cast away? where was I 
when you was cast away was his inquiry of 
me, to find out if I knew any thing of the 
Greenland fleet; I told him that he went to 
dine on board the ship Jane; he said that I was 
the very boy that was with him, he then got 
his sea Journal to see if my name was on the 
roll, and he asked me if I did not tell him that 
my parents were dead, at the time he had me 
bound, I told him I did; and had recourse to that 
mode of duplicity, being fearful, that under any 
other circumstances, that he would not take 
me; said /le, ah you young rascal; he observed 
that I was an orphan now, that I had neither 
father nor mother to go to; his remark depres- 
sed my spirits very much, which he observed; 
and to divert my mind from dwelling upon the 
idea of my forlorn condition, he jocularly ask- 
ed, how I liked it when we were on the moun- 
tain of ice; I told him not very well, for John 
Mills was going to throw me overboard; what 



33 

for, said the Captain to me; because I cried, 
that was pretty hard Bill, said he. He then 
asked me if I would like to go to America, I 
told him yes; says he, if you do you will have 
to ship as an orphan again; how would you 
like to go to the East Indies a trip with me, 
said the Captain to me; I told him that if I 
could not get to America, I would go with 
him; my uncle then told him, that if I could be 
got to America, it would be a very happy thing 
for my parents to see me once more, for they 
are under the impression that I had been 
drowned three years ago, as the news had 
arrived in England, that the ship had been lost 
as also the whole crew; the Captain said yes, 
that was the report until I arrived; the Cap- 
tain then said, that it would be a hundred to 
one if he ever gets to America, my uncle 
asked him why and what would be the danger. 
The Captain alleged that I might be put on 
board a man of war, before he is out two 
days, as he has no master and no protector; 
my uncle said that it was dangerous in that 
way, for the captain would have to take me as 
a strong hand; my uncle said he did not know 



34 

what to do for or with me: the Captain said 
that if 1 would agree to go with him, as he had 
been my master, that he could be my master 
yet, that he would take care of me, till the 
times would change; that I could go at any 
time in peaceable times; that I could make my 
uncle's house my home every time that I came 
into port; that he could write to my father 
that I was yet living and under his protection. 
My uncle told him that would be a very good 
plan; the Captain addressed me by saying, 
what do you say to that Bill? I told him that 
if I could not get to America, that I would stay 
with him, but would rather than stay, go to 
America; the Captain said if he heard or saw 
a good and safe chance to send me there, that 
he would, as he felt disposed to do all he could 
for me; he said that I did not know the dan- 
gers I had to undergo; his ship he said would 
not be ready to sail for one month, and if he 
could or did hear of a chance, he would let 
my uncle know; he instructed my uncle to 
keep me very close, the neighbors might get 
to know that I had deserted, and that I would 
be taken up; my uncle assured him that he 
would take care of me; and that as soon as his 



35 

ship was ready or any other chance for Amer- 
ica, he would give him due notice thereof. 
Well said my uncle we'll be going home; the 
Captain invited us to stop and take a drink of 
good old brandy; after taking a drink we bade 
the Captain good-bye, and returned to Han- 
dleby; there my uncle kept me in his garret 
for fifteen days; at the end of that time. Cap- 
tain Clark wrote to my uncle, that we should 
come on as soon as we could, that he thought 
there was a chance for New York. 

We started that night, I bade my aunt a 
farewell; she told me if I ever lived to get to 
my father and mother, to remember her to 
them, and to give her best respects to them, 
and she could hardly tell me for crying. 

Then we went to Hull, then to Captain 
Clark's; we went into his house and asked for 
the Captain, and found him at home; he told 
my uncle he had a chance for me to get to 
New York, he said his mate had been on 
board an American ship, that they had lost a 
hand on their passage here; — it will not do for 
me to smuggle him away; if he should be re- 
taken, and 1 gave an account how 1 was put 



S6 

there, he might be broke of his commission; 
but my mate will go with him, said the Cap- 
tain; he told my uncle to tell the captain of the 
American vessel my situation, and observed 
that then there could be no risk to run, only 
on my part; the mate accordingly went with 
uson board the American ship, introduced us to 
the American Captain, and asked the Captam if 
he wanted a hand; he said yes, that he had lost 
one coming in, that he got crazy and jumped 
overboard; he told him here is a boy that he 
wanted to send to America; he asked him if I 
was an American boy, the mate told him that I 
was not, but that my parents were in America, 
the American Captain asked me if I had ever been 
to sea, I told him yes, he asked me what I could 
do; I told him I could hand and reef a little; 
he asked me if I could steer, I told him a little, 
but not much; he asked me if I could splice a 
rope, I answered him I could not; he then 
asked me what ship I had belonged to, and 
where I had been, I told that 1 belonged to 
the service and that I had deserted; he said 
that if you go along with me you will be taken 
again; the English mate spoke and told him 



37 

way, said the American Captain. He tlien> 
asked my uncle how he would like to send me, 
my uncle told him just as he and I agreed; and 
then he said to my uncle, if he goes, that it 
must be at my own risk, my uncle said yes;, 
I told him that I had been at a risk all my life 
time; he asked me if I could do that man's . 
duty if he would take me to America in safety, 
what would I ask him for the voyage; 1 told 
him I would ask him nothing, he said that was 
cheap enough; he then told my uncle that he 
would take me, my uncle said very well, that 
be was very glad of it, asked him when he 
would go; in about five days he would have 
his cargo in; he asked my uncle in what port 
of America my father was in — my uncle said 
he did not know exactly, but he believed near- 
the city of New York; my uncle asked the 
Captain where his ship belonged to; said he 
New London, but the cargo was to go to New 
York; the English mate then asked what his, 
cargo was, he told him chiefly dry goods; my 
uncle then asked the Captain his name, he told 
him William Leeds, he then asked my uncle my 
father's name, be told him Edward Otter; the 
Captain put down mine and my father's name 

in a book;he asked my uncle if I had any clothes 
4 



38 

my uncle told him I had no suitable sea- 
faring clothing, as I had deserted I dare not 
wear them, my uncle said he would buy me 
clothing; the Captain said no, as the boy had 
offered so generous, that he would rig me out; 
then my uncle asked him where I should stay 
until he should set sail: the English mate told 
him, that I had better remain at Captain 
Clark's, until he, the American captain would 
set sail; the Captain said yes, for I would have 
to be smuggled out past the custom house 
Officers; the English mate then gave him the 
number of Captain Clark's house, and gave 
him an invitation to call to see the Captain, 
that he could give him all information requir- 
ed about me; the American Captain told the 
mate that he would call, in a day or two. So 
then we went to Captain Clark's, and the Cap- 
tain asked me if 1 had got the birth, 1 told 
him yes sir; he then said, you and the yankee 
for it; he asked the mate when she was to set 
sail, he told him in about five days, he told me 
I'd better be getting ready; the mate told him 
then that the Yankee would call up to see him 
in a day or two, the Captain said he would be 
very glad to see him; told me to stay with him 
until he was ready to go, I told him very well 



39 

sir, and glad of it; my uncle then told the Cjlp- 
tain he would go home, that he would call to 
see me again before I would start; he then 
went home; the Captain then ordered me to 
work for my mistress until I would start. 
Captain Clark asked me if my uncle intended 
to buy any seafaring clothes for me, I told him 
no, that the Yankee Captain was going to buy 
some for me; he said that was very clever of 
him; he told the mate that this was the best 
chance I ever could get, he believed that the 

d young rascal was born to good luck; 

the mate answered, the bigger the devil the 
better the luck. The Captain said to me, 
well Bill, what will you do if you are taken 
again? I told him runaway again. Here ended 
our conversation, he ordered me to the kitchen 
\p get my supper; after 1 had supped I went 
to bed; in the morning the mate called me up, 
and told me there are the Captain's boots to 
clean; after I had done with that job I got my 
breakfast; then the mate told me to tell the 
maid to give me the market basket, and follow 
him to market; I went to market, I came home 
again and gave the maid the provisions; she 
asked me if ever I cleaned any knives and 
forks, I told her yes; she then said to me, here 



40 

Is a good job for you, pointing to a lot of them; 
I fell to and cleaned them; she asked me if 
was done; I told her I was; she then ordered 
me to carry them up to my mistress; I carried 
them up to her; I asked if those would do, she 
told me they were elegant, she asked me if 
ever I had cleaned any knives and forks before; 
I told her O yes, many a time; she said she 
supposed I had been a cabin boy, I told her I 
had, ever since I had been in the navy; I sup- 
pose you know how to set a table, I told her 
yes; I asked her when I should set it, she said 
in about an hour, I went back into the kitchen, 
the maid asked me if I could peel potatoes, I 
fell to and peeled a small pot full; when I was 
done peeling potatoes, she asked me if ever I 
had basted any meat — I told her I never did, 
but thought I could do it if I saw how it was 
done; she picked up the ladle, and poured the 
gravy over the meat while turning on the spit; 
then I basted the beef till I was nearly roasted 
myself. My mistress, God bless her soul, re- 
lieved me by calling me in to set the table; I 
sat the table, carried up the dinner; and the 
Captain came home to dinner; I stood behind 
his back. Well Bill, said he, you got into 



41 

business — yes sir, I replied; my mistress then 
said that he should look at the knives and 
forks; he asked me if that (meaning the knives 
and forks,) was some of my work; she an- 
swered him yes; indeed he observed to her, as 
he had done the work so nice, that she should 
keep me, she said that she would have no ob- 
jections, if I would consent to stay, turning 
himself to me and saying, what do you say to 
that Bill. 1 told him I would rather go to 
America; he said that he supposed so. Af- 
ter the dinner was over I began to clear off 
the table, and about cleaning knives and forks 
as usual. The evening after that captain Leeds 
was introduced to captain Clark by the chief 
mate as the American Captain. 

Captain Clark began the conversation with 
the Yankee Captain, by inquiring of him, to 
what part of America he was bounds! he repli- 
ed, that he was bound to New York; he asked 
him if he was acquainted about New York, he 
said he was not much acquainted about New 
York, as he belonged to New London. He 
then asked Captain Leeds if he was willing 
to take me along to America; he said yes, 
(hat he would try. That he would do all for 
4^ 



42 
me he could, then told him that he was my 
former master, saying that I had been in his 
Majesty's service since he was cast away from 
him; that he could not say much about me, as 
I had been absent from him for two or three 
years; that it was his wish for me to get to 
my parents again, if it were possible for me to 
get there. He told him that he must be aware 
of the fleet on his passage going to America, 
if they get their eyes on him he will be re-tak- 
en as a stray hand. He answered that he was 
well aware of that, as he had several times 
been examined on his voyage to Europe. Cap- 
tain Clark then asked him, if in case he came 
to America, and could not find my parents, 
what would he do with me? He told him that 
he knew no other way than, that if I ever got 
there, to advertise me, and if my parents were 
to be found, that I could then go to them. Then 
Captain Clark observed there would be no 
danger, provided his parents are yet living, 
and what would he do wnth me in case they 
cannot be found. He said, that in such an event 
he should give me choice to be bound to him, 
or to any body else; he then asked him when 
iie thought he would set sail; he thought the 



43 

next evening, if the wind was fair, and if the 
wind was unfair, he should sail the morning 
following, by high tide. Then Captain Clark 
asked me if I was willing to go with that gen- 
tleman, I told him I was. He then said that 
he would write a few lines to my uncle to come 
up that afternoon. He then took the Captain's 
name down and the date, and told him that if I 
was not a good boy he hoped that he would 
make one out of me; the Yankee told him that 
he would do all that lay in his power for me. 
The Captain asked him how it was about my 
clothing, who was to clothe me; the Yankee 
said that he told my uncle he would clothe me 
for the voyage. The Captain told me, now 
says he, boy you belong to Captain Leeds. 
Then my mistress told me to come into the 
other room. After we got into the room, she 
began to give me a lecture, by saying, she hoped 
that I would be a good boy, until I got home 
to my parents again. She backed it with half 
a guinea, and sewed it in my pocket. She be- 
gan to cry and enjoined it upon me never to 
show it to any body until I came to America, 
and added a black silk handkerchief to her 



44 

present, and then told me that was all she had 
to give me, and so ended the admonition of 
Mrs. Clark. We came out. The Yankee 
asked me if I was ready to go. I answered 
him I was. I shook hands wnth Captain Clark 
and his lady, and bade them a farewell. 

I was taken down Dock street, by the Yan- 
kee Captain, he there bought me two suits of 
clothes, and from there took me on board the 
ship Charlotte, and told his crew that he had 
cheated the English, he had taken an English 
boy, and observed to me to keep below until 
he set sail. The next day, after I had entered 
on board of the American ship, my uncle came 
on board our ship, and asked me if we were 
going to set sail soon. I told him yes, if the 
wind was fair, we were to sail that evening, 
and if not, that we would sail the next morn- 
ing. He inquired of me wdiere the Captain 
was. The mate of the ship told him that he 
went to the Custom House to get his papers, 
and that it would not be long before he would 
be on board. My uncle asked me if I had got 
my clothes, I told him I had, and showed them 
to him, he said that it was very clever indeed, 



45 

of the Captain. The mate went on deck; my 
uncle asked me if I had any money; I told him 
yes, I had half a guinea, which my mistress 
had given me. He observed that she was 
very kind to me. He asked me where I had 
it; I told him that she sewed it in my pocket, 
he told me, if I would be a good boy that he 
would give me a guinea, and I should keep it 
until I got home. He asked the mate permis- 
sion to let me go on shore about five minutes, 
the mate most cordially granted the request of 
my uncle. We went to an ale house, called 
for a quart of ale; while we were drinking the 
ale, he asked the landlady for a needle and 
thread, and gave her the guinea and requested 
her to sew it in my waistcoat pocket, along 
side of the half guinea which had been placed 
there by my mistress. She did so, and while 
she performed that office, she asked my uncle 
where I was going, he told her I was going to 
sea. From there we went out, and my uncle 
purchased a small chest for me, and told me to 
keep that vest in the chest until I got to Ame- 
rica. In the next place we returned on board 
the ship Charlotte, and on our return the Cap- 
tain was also on board. My uncle told the 



46 

Captain he liad purchased a chest for me to 
keep my clothes in, he observed all was right, 
and added he could have got one for me; then 
my uncle gave tlie Captain a letter with the 
request to give it to my father, if he got safe 
to America; he told him he would. Tiie Cap- 
tain then took out his brandy bottle, as a body 
would, and we all took a drink; my uncle then 
requested the captain to do all for me he could 
to get me home to my parents, inasmuch as I 
had a great many ups and downs. The Cap- 
tain assured my uncle that on his part no pains 
should be spared to accomplisli the object of 
my design, if his parents lived m the city of 
New York or in the vicinity, as he should ad- 
vertise me when he came there, and if they 
cannot be found, why I might if I chose, take a 
voyage with him to the West Indies, and per- 
haps in that time they might be found out. 
My uncle then asked him how long he would 
lay at New York; the Captain replied to that 
inquiry, that his stay would be about two 
Weeks. My uncle concluded by saying, that 
he could say and do nothing more for me; that 
he should do the best he could for me, and ask- 
ed the Captain if he intended to set sail that 



47 

night; he said he thought he would, if the wind 
was any way fair, and tendered his hand to 
me, and gave me a farewell and wished us a 
safe and pleasant voyage. 

About eight o'clock at night the wind sprang 
up and blew a pleasant gale; we hoisted sail 
and put out, and 1 then bade my native land 
and the city of my nativity, a last adieu. The 
Captain ordered me to go up to the main top, 
and to lay there until we had passed the Cus- 
tom House officers; we passed them safe, and 
sailed about one hour, the wind changed, we 
had to cast anchor till the next morning in the 
river Urnber. 

The next morning about 9 o'clock we hoist- 
ed sail. The Captain said that they must 
hide me until we had passed his Majesty's 
guard ship laying at the Capes, where we had 
to undergo another examination. They put 
me down between decks, and hid me by throw- 
ing potatoes over me, and got safe past the 
guard ship, and that was the last regular fiery 
ordeal we had to pass, as for the rest they 
were promiscuous. We were hailed on our 
passage from the city of Hull, England, until 
we came to the city of New York in North 



48 
America, nine times by the English. In the 
mean time we had a pleasant voyage, and ar- 
rived in the month of September, in the 16th 
year of my age, in the Capes off New York. 
Captain Leeds used me very well while in his 
service. We were, as it is technically termed, 
quarantined two days. The medical board, 
under whose examination we fell, pronounced 
us healthy. We then got a pilot to pilot us 
into New York. We arrived at the wharf on 
a Wednesday about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. 
I jumped on shore. The next day after our 
arrival, the mate and I went to "Fly Market" 
to buy provisions, after the mate had purchas- 
ed as many provisions as we wanted, I carried 
them on board our ship. I stole back again 
into the market, and went up to a woman who 
had peaches for sale, and asked her how she 
sold them, she told me she sold them for twelve 
and a half cents per peck. The reader will 
please bear in mind, that peaches in the mark- 
ets in England generally sell from a penny to 
two pence a piece. I then asked how much 
a half a peck was, with a view to find what 
the value of 12 J cents was. She told me a 
fip, and then I was just as wise as I was before. 
1 pulled off my cap and told her to pour them 



49 

into it. While she was pouring out the peach- 
es into my cap, I took out my knife and began 
to rip the seam that enveloped the half guinea 
which my mistress had given me; I handed the 
half guinea to her and began to eat of the 
peaches. She said to me that I should cot 
come there to fool her, that this is only a 
pocket piece usually denominated a counter, 
she not knowing the value of the half guinea, 
handed it back to me. I took it again, and 
put it in my pocket, and pretty near at the 
same time we both made a grab at my cap, 
and she succeeded in getting it*, she began to 
box it about my ears, and I began to let her 
have it. I made an effort and got my cap from 
her, and after I had my cap again, I began to 
let her have it for a Yankee. Our affray took 
place opposite an apothecary shop, the gentle- 
man standing in the door came and asked what 
was the matter; she told him that young R-sc-1 
came to cheat her out of her peaches with a 
pocket piece. I, in defence of that charge pre- 
ferred against me, denied it, and alleged it was 
half a guinea, and to justify my assertion, I 
told him to take a look at it, and handed the 
half guinea to him, he told me it was a good 
5 



50 

half guinea, and asked me where I had got it; 
I told him I had got it in England, from my 
mistress; he offered to change it for me if I 
wished it; I told him he should; he then weigh- 
ed it, and gave me silver for it, and told me 
to go and demand my peaches. I gave the 
old lady a fip; she gave me the peaches, and 
told me that I was a good boy, after she had 
trounced me, at least I gave her no thanks for 
her courtesy. 

I then started with my peaches towards the 
wharf, eating them, stones and all; after I had 
eat about two thirds of them, I began to avoid 
eating the stones, and was content with eating 
peach. After I had finished my half peck of 
peaches I went on board of our ship; the Cap- 
tain asked where I had been, I told him I had 
been at market, getting some peaches, he ask- 
ed me if I had got any; he asked me how many 
I had got, I told him half a peck, he asked me 
where they were, I told him I had eat them, 
when he heard that he observed, they will kill 
you, and at his remarks I began to be alarmed, 
and the fright agitating my mind and a half 
peck of peaches in my stomach, I began to 
sicken, he told me to come into the cabin and 



51 

he would give me something to work them off, 
and what he gave me I did not know, but in a 
short time the way that them peach stones 
flew was a caution to the world. He then ob- 
served that I had better not eat any more, as 
they might throw me into a spell of sickness, 
inasmuch as 1 was not accustomed to the cli- 
mate. 

He told me that the next morning he would 
advertise me in the Daily Advertiser, and he 
did so; he asked me if 1 thought 1 would know 
my father, if I would see him; I told him I did 
not know, he told me to keep a look out at 
Market, as my father was a gardener, every 
day as I went to market. I, however, never 
saw him at the market as I knew of. 

We were in New York about nine days^ 
it happened to be on a Sunday that my father 
came on board our ship in company with some 
other man. I was laying on the deck, he ask- 
ed me if this was the ship Charlotte, I told him 
yes; he then asked me if the captain was on 
board, I answered him he was, he is in the 
cabin, said I to him; he went down into the 
cabin and asked the captain if he had an Eng- 
lish boy on board, the captain told him he had. 
My father then asked the captain for the name? 



52 

the captain then told him his name was Wil- 
liam Otter, he then asked him his name, he 
told him that his name was Edward Otter, 
then the captain called me down into the cabin, 
and pointing to me, says he, there is the boy, 
and addressing himself to me, said, Bill there 
is your father; my father, upon this introduc- 
tion of the captain took me by the hand, cry- 
ing, asked me if I knew him, I told him yes, he 
then asked how I ever had got here, I told him 
I worked my passage, he then told the captain 
that he had heard that I was lost near four 
years ago; he thought from what he had then 
heard, that he never would see me again in 
this world. The captain then handed to him 
the letter which he had taken from my uncle 
to my father, and gave it to him. My father 
read the letter which gave him a full account 
and explanation of my situation from the time I 
had got from my old master until I stood be- 
fore him on the ship Charlotte, lying in the 
harbor, his next inquiry was of the captain, if 
he had any thing to pay, lor bringing me to 
him, he said no, that if any pay was going, that 
it was coming to me. My father told my cap- 
tain that he was anxious to take me home to 



53 

my mother, he asked my father where he lived, 
he told him that he lived three miles from the 
city, at a place called Sandy Hill, he request- 
ed of my father to bring me back in a day or 
two, that he wanted to see me before he sail- 
ed, as I had done him a particular kindness, 
which he could never forget. The captain told 
me to leave my clothes on board until I came 
back. My father bade the captain good bye, 
and off me and my father started together for 
Sandy Hill. 

At my arrival in tlie bosom of my family, 
my mother, sisters and brothers were so over- 
joyed that language is too weak to express the 
sensations we labored under. My mother 
wept holy, pious tears of joy, and my bro- 
thers and sisters shook hands most cordially 
with me. It being evening, we went to sup- 
per. 

My father began to ask me of my jour- 
nies and travels; I related them to him the 
same as I have given them as related to 
my micle; he said, the chances were as 
five hundred to one that 1 ever got to him? 
and added that I should never go to sea 
again while he lived, with his consent, al- 
5* 



54 

though he believed I had the luck to oro 
any where throughout the world, he ask- 
ed me if while on the sea, I ever re- 
membered the whipping be had given me. 
My mother then observed that whipping 
saved the rest many a whipping and hoped 
that he would never whip me again. I 
told him if he did that I would go to sea 
again. He asked me if I was never whip- 
ped while I was at sea? I answered, yes, 
sometimes. He asked me, why I did not 
run away from there. I told him I could 
not. He told my mother that he would 
take me and show me to General Nelson 
the next morning. 

Accordingly, be took me to the Gen- 
eral's house. My father said to him, that 
here was his lost boy who had just arriv- 
ed. He asked my father if I was his son. 
My father told him I was. The general 
asked me where ] came h^om. I told him 
that I came from England. He asked me 
how I came here. 1 told him that I work- 
ed my passage. He said that I deserved 
credit for that and asked my father what 
he intended to do with me. Father told 
him he did not know. Well, said the Gen- 



55 

erai, give him to me. My father, in reply- 
to general Nelson said, That he would 
leave it all to myself. 

When I found that I was to select a 
birth for myself, I inquired what I should 
have to do. He told me that I would be 
employed in the capacity of his waiter? 
ride behind his carriage for one year, and 
told me if after that I would prove myself 
a good boy, he would put me in his count- 
ing house and make a man of me. Tak- 
ing him at his word, I consented that I 
would come. The general told my father 
that he should take me through the city 
and show me the different modes and fash- 
ions of this country. My father told him 
that he intended to do so, as I had to ero 
back to the ship again on which I had left 
all ir.y clothing. The general cautioned 
my father, and expressed the apprehension 
that the captain of the vessel might per- 
suade, and take me from my father again. 
Father told him that he would take care of 
that, as he intended that I should never go 
to sea again with his consent. With that 
he bade the general good-bye, and off we 
started for New- York. 



56 

We then went to the ship to see captain 
Leeds, he, the captain asked, how I came 
on, and how I Ukcd the country. I told 
him I liked it very well. He asked me if 
I intended to stay with my father, or go 
with him a trip to the West India Islands. 
I told him I would not go with him as I 
had got a place. He expressed a happi- 
ness at the idea of my stay. He told my 
father that for my good conduct towards 
him while in his service he felt it his boun- 
den duty to reward me. And applying the 
action to the words he reached into his 
pocket and pulled out eight dollars and 
gave them to me as a perquisite for spe- 
cial services rendered to him, he also re- 
quested my father to write to captain 
Clark in Hull to let the captain know that 
I had arrived in safety at my place of des- 
tination. Father promised him that he 
would do that by the first packet that would 
sail for Eno-land. 

He next got out his bottle of Cogniac, 
inviting us to take a drink; we did so, and 
then I took my clothes, bade captain Leeds 
farewell, and put out on shore. 

I left my chest in the grocery in market 



57 
till the next day and went to my father's 
place of residence; the day after he brought 
my chest home, and I was safely moored 
in the paternal circle, surrounded by my 
brothers and sisters. I walked about for 
tliree or four days to and from the city, 
when I got tired of that I told my father 
that I would go to the general's. My fa- 
ther accordingly took me there that even- 
ing and told him that here was his son who 
had expressed a wish to come to him, the 
general asked me if I could wait on the 
table, clean knives and forks, shoes and 
boots. I answered him that I could do all 
these thincrs. He asked me if I knew how 
to drink brandy, 1 said, yes, I knew that 
too. He said he hked me for that, as I had 
told the truth, for, said he, if I could not 
hide brandy, that I was no sailor. We took 
a drink, he asked me how often we got it 
at sea, I told him whenever the captain 
gave it to us, says he. That is exactly my 
rule, you are never to drink any unless I 
give it to you; and that was the first and 
the last drink of brandy we took either 
jointly or severally while in the general's 
service, by, and with the advice and con- 



58 

sent of the general, I nevertheless, once in 
a while would take a horn with my own 
consent; yet I never consulted the general 
upon that subject. The general called up 
a footman, and the footman gave me an in- 
vitation to go down to the kitchen to take 
supper. I went down with him and ate 
supper, the footman asked me if I v/as 
coming there to be a waiter, I told him yes, 
he asked me if 1 had just come from Eng- 
land, that question I also anwered affirm- 
atively, he asked me if ever I had waited 
on a table before, I told him I had while at 
sea, he asked me how we sat a table in a 
storm, did the tables never upset. I told 
him that the tables could not upset as they 
were screwed to the floor. He then asked 
me if I knew how to ride a horse; I told 
him, no, I never rode much; he told me j 
would have to learn, that I would have to 
ride behind the general's carriage every- 
day to the city. 1 told him I should like 
that. 

After a short time we went to bed; as I 
had been used to getting up on the morn- 
ing watch, he asked what I got up so early 



59 

for, 1 told him it was our watch, he aslced 
me to come to bed, it was too early to get 
up. I went to bed again and laid there till 
he called me up. Then we all got out of 
bed, came down, swept the parlor and be- 
gan to set the table for breakfast; he told 
me that would be my exercise every morn- 
ing. When we all got done, he told me to 
come to the stable he would show me the 
pony which I would have to ride; when I 
saw the pony I said it was a very pretty 
little horse; he told me that I would have to 
take care of myself as he had a good ma- 
ny bad tricks about him. I told him I could 
ride him; the coachman said he would see; 
he saddled and bridled the poney and 
brought him out, to see me perform on the 
green; I told him that he should get on 
first, he did so, and rode him around the 
green, and then dismounted; then I got on 
the poney, I rode him about half way 
around the green, the coachman told me to 
give him the whip, when I applied the tim- 
ber the pony began to rear and kick till 
overboard I went, to the amusement of the 
coachman and footman, for them my per- 



60 

iormance was rare sport; the poney ran to 
the stable, the coachman caught him; he 
jumped on him and rode him around the 
green as hard as the poney could lay legs 
to the ground, saying he would let him 
know what he was about; he came to me 
and asked me if I was hurt, I told him I was 
not; he then encouraged me to try the po- 
ney again, accordingly I mounted him the 
second time, and when I was fairly planted 
on him he started off with me and ran two 
rounds around the OTeen as hard as he 
could lay legs to the ground. The general 
in the mean time, stood in his piazza, see- 
ing that the coachman had me in training, 
and seeing the poney perform — he called 
to me, saying, hang to the rigging, my lad;: 
having fair wind before me I sailed right 
in the wind's eye, holding on to the reins 
and mane as hard as ever I could; and this 
was the first time I caught the idea by oc- 
cular demonstration, that there was no stop 
in a horse-race. The pony after the se- 
cond round, stopped short near his stable 
door, and over his head I went off again; 
the coachman came and picked me up. 



61 

and asked me if I was hurt; I told him I 
was not; he then allowed that I had done 
very well for that time, that, in his opinion, 
I would soon learn to ride. 

After our performance of horsemanship, had 
ended, the footman and myself went to the 
house, washed ourselves, and then began to 
carry up the breakfast; the footman told me; 
I would have to stand at the General's chair, 
and he would stand at the madam's chair; the 
General observed to me, that 1 had a fair sail 
that morning; I told him yes sir; he then asked 
me, if the ships kicked up behind, as did the 
one I was on this morning; I replied that they 
did not; the madam asked the General where I 
had been that morning; the General told her 
that John was learning me to ride the poney; 
^he asked him if I got a fall; I answered the 
question, seeing that the point of it was direct- 
ed at me, that I only got two falls. She asked 
me if I got hurt; I told her no madam; she said 
I was very lucky; the General then observed, 
my dear, don't you know that a sailor cannot 
be killed on land? She observed, that it would 
be well for me, if I remained always on land. 
Breakfast being over, and the table cleared off, 
we went to the kitchen, and took our breakfast. 
6 



62 

The General called up the footman, and told 
him, that after we had our work done, he 
should take me to the city, to Mr Nicholson's, 
to have my measure taken for two suits of live- 
ry, and to have them made in that week; he 
then hitched up a horse in a gig; we got in, 
rode to the city, got measured, and came back. 
I then went about my usual occupation, till 
the next week; when I got my livery suits, the 
General told me to be dressed, and prepared 
to ride to the city on that day, at three o'clock; 
at the hour appointed. I was ready; the car- 
riage was brought before the door. I mount- 
ed my poney, and we started for the city. The 
General once or twice called to me, while on 
the road, if I was there: I answered him, yes 
sir. We went on very well, until we came 
to the foot of Bunker's hill. I was a short dis- 
tance behind the carriage; I met a negro on a 
horse, with a basket before him; my poney 
took fright, and away he went with me, took 
off the road, along the foot of Bunker's hill, 
and ran about half a mile, before I could stop 
him, when I had stopped him, I wheeled 
him about again taking after the carriage 
as hard as I could go. The general was 
waiting at the head of Broadway to see 



63 

what had become of me, I rode up to him 
and he asked me where I had been, I told 
him that the poney, scared at the negro I 
had met with who had a basket on his 
horse, had run off witii me. He laughed, 
and told me to stick close to the carriage 
and hold him as hard as I coul 1; and the 
harder I held the little rascal the worse he 
behaved himself. From there we went on 
very well until we came to the head of 
Pearl street; as a carriage passed us by, 
going pretty fast, and I was looking about, 
he began to rear and pitch, and down I 
went; a gentleman on the pavement caught 
my poney by the bridle and asked if 1 was 
hurt; I told him I was not, I jumped on the 
poney again and had not time to dust my 
coat; I rode along after the carriage, till 
we came to the general's counting house: 
the general told me to get off and open the 
carriage door, and let the pony stand, who 
bye the bye knew his business better than 
1 did, as he had been trained to stand by 
the carriage, at any place where it might 
stop, I opened the carriage door, the gen- 
eral got out and asked me how my coat 



64 

became so dusty. 1 told him that the po- 
ney had thrown me at the head of the 
street; he asked me if I was hurt; I told 
him I was not. He admired my good for- 
tune by saying" that I was very lucky in my 
undertakings, and ordered me to go into 
the counting house to get the dust brushed 
off my coat. He then told the coachman 
to call for him at the usual hour, the coach- 
man told me to come up on the box to him. 
I asked what I should do with the poney, 
he told me to put the reins behind the sad- 
dle and let him go; I did as he directed me 
and got on, he turned the carriage up Chat- 
ham street to the tea- water pump; he told 
me to get down and give the horses some 
water; and he told me to look if the poney 
was behind, I looked and he was there; I 
watered him also, he told me after the hor- 
ses had all been watered to get on the box 
again, that we would a take a ride up to 
Bowery Lane, about one mile to a tavern; he 
asked me if I would take a drink of some- 
thing, and not being in the habit of refusing 
those things, I told him 1 would; he drank 
some brandy, and staid there about one 



65 

hour; then we started off from there and 
came round by the ship-yards to Pearl St. 
to the countmg house; waited there about 
half an hour. The general stepped into 
his carriage and we went home, and went 
to my usual employment. . 

The next morning I had to undergo my 
usual morning drill, which was that of ri- 
ding the poney. 1 succeeded very well 
on that mornincr. 

About the month of October general 
Nelson changed his residence from Sandy 
Hill, and moved into the city ol New York* 
I waited on the table about six months 
he one day asked me how 1 would like to 
take a birfi in the counting house, I told 
him very well. The madam asked the gen- 
eral, what he would have there to do for 
me, he told her to go on errands and keep 
the counting house clean; accordingly I 
was placed in the counting house; my 
work was to keep it clean, help to hoist in 
goods, &c.; and remained in that occupa- 
tion about four months; by this time I had 
contracted acquaintances, who undertook 

to advise me to leave that birth and go and 
6* 



66 

learn a trade; I did not know exactly how 
to get away with any kind of credit to my- 
self; I began to neglect my business: the 
general gave me a scolding for my inatten- 
tion to business, upon which I put out and 
went home to my father's. My father ask- 
ed me what was the matter, I honestly told 
him that the general had given me a scold- 
ing upon the strength of which I had put 
out; he asked me what had I done, I told 
him I had not done any thing; which, bye 
the bye, was the precise reason for which 
he gave me the scolding. My father said 
that he would go and see the general, I told 
him he need not give himself any trouble 
about it as I intended to learn a trade; he 
then asked me what I intended to learn; I 
rephed I did not know as I had not spent 
a serious thought about it; he said that I 
had better stay with the general, that he 
would make a man out of me. I then told 
my father in plain terms not to be misun- 
derstood, that I never would go back to 
him again. I knew that my father would 
not insist upon my going back to the gen- 
eral for fear I would go to sea again which 



67 

idea my father had coaceived an abhor- 
rence for; he said that he must go and 
tell the general that you intend to learn a 
a trade, and that he should not expect you 
to return to him; accordingly he went and 
asked the general what was the matter be- 
tween him and myself, the general alleged 
that I had got into bad habits by running 
about at, nights and neglected my business; 
and now, said he, is the only time to break 
him of them: my father agreed with the 
general, but was afraid of using prompt and 
coercive measures, lest I might go to sea 
again. The general replied. Yes, very 
true; but added, that some means should 
be taken to break me of them: he continu- 
ed, that if I did not choose to come again 
that he did not wish me to return contrary 
to my will but would have liked to keep 
me very well. 

My father then came home and told me 
all the general had alleged against me, 
said he hoped that I would be a good boy, 
and carry myself straight, and would get 
into some useful occupation; he then asked 
me a second time what I intended to 
learn, I told him I thought I would learn to 



68 

be a shoemaker; he immediately consented 
if I could get a good master. 1 went to 
market with my father every day, at 
length I found for myself a master by the 
name of John Paxton, a resident in Water 
street in the city of New York, to him I 
went upon probation of a fortniglit's dura- 
tion, and staid with him a week all but 
three days, and then put out. From Ihere 
1 went home again, my father asked me 
how I liked the trade; to that enquiry I an- 
swered, that I did not like it at all, I had 
quit it; he asked me if I had told Mr. Pax- 
ton so; I told him I had; he asked me why 
I had quit; I told Mr. Paxton that it hurt me 
across my breast; my father asked me 
what are you going to learn now, I told 
him I did not know yet; I then walked about 
the city for two or three days. 

I hunted for myself a master, in the 
meantime, and took a notion to learn the 
venitian blind making business, and found 
for myself a master in a man of the name 
of William Howard, who followed that 
business in Broadway, opposite the park 
he also took me on probation (as I had no 



69 
notion to run a head of the wind) for two 
weeks; which is the estabhshed rule in the 
city, as to taking" apprentices on probation. 
Mr. Howard put me at painting blinds; in 
that office I held out five days and found 
that the effects of the paint, on my part was 
intolerable; I told Mr. Howard I believed 1 
would leave him, that I could not stand it, 
I would go home; he said, well you must 
know best yourself, I do not intend to per- 
suade you against your own will,- — and 
there, and in manner aforesaid, ended my 
second apprenticeship, and I put out home. 
When I came home my father was absent, 
my mother asked me how I liked my new 
trade; I told her I had quit; why, said she? 
William you learn your tra;des quick; I told 
her yes; and what are you going to do 
now, continued my mother: I told her I did 
not know. In the evening my father came 
home; my mother told him that I had learn- 
ed another trade; he then asked me had I 
quit again; I toid him yes; he asked me if I 
had told Mr. Howard, that I intended to 
quit; I told him I had; he then said that was 
right. He then asked me what I would 
join next, I told him I thought I would try 



70 

to learn the carpenter business; well, said 
he, seek for yourself another master, I told 
hini I would; accordingly I went in quest of 
a master and got one, by the name of Gaus- 
man, a Scotchman, in Broadway: he put me ^ 
to sawing out boards all that week; on Sun- 
day I went home; father asked how I come 
on, I told him very well, he said he was 
glad to hear it, hoping I would get myself 
bound the next week, I told him I would 
wait till next week was over before I got 
myself bound; I kept on sawing boards until 
Thursday; I told the foreman I believed I 
would quit it, that I had the back-ache and 
the work Was too hard: and without any 
further ceremony I put out for home, and 
so ended my third apprenticeship. My', 
father asked me how I came on at the car- 
penter's business; I told him I had quit it^ 
he then gave me to understand that he en- 
tertained the thought that hard work and 
myself had had a falling out; I told him 
yes, that I did not like it much. He told me 
in good earnest to make up my mind and 
go to some trade and stick to it and learn 
it, as I was fooling away my time to no pur- 



71 

pose, in the way I had been leaving trades; 
as bye the bye, I was master of none: and 
that after a while my name would become 
so notorious that I could not get a master, 
as he wished to see me do well; and if I 
got a master again to get myself bound 
straightway. If I did not do that, I would 
never get a trade. 

1 then took b notion to learn the brick- 
laying and plastering business, and went to 
hunt a master in good earnest, and found 
one by the name of Kenweth King. I 
asked him if he would take a boy and learn 
him his trade; he asked if I was the boy, I 
I told him yes, he then asked me my name 
and where I lived, which inquiries I an- 
swered; he told me to bring my father there 
tha next day, I told him I would; the next 
day about two o'clock according to promise 
my father and myself called to see Mr* 
King. My father signified a wish to have 
me bound instanter as I had so many mas- 
ters, and flew as often too; Mr. King; told 
imy father he had no apprehension abont 
him; but that he could make a good boy 
out of me, as he had no less than eight 
boys at that time; my father told him if it 



•73 
suited, he would like to have me bound on 
the spot, to which Mr. King said he had no 
objections if I was agreed; I told him I was 
perfectly satisfied, and we went straight to 
a squire-shop and got myself bound for 
four years. The next morning I went to 
work in my new birth, and worked on till 
Saturday evening; I asked permission of 
my master to go home and see my parents, 
he consented I might go provided I return- 
ed on Sunday evening; 1 told him I would; 
I went home, and father asked me how I 
come on, I told him very well; he asked if I 
liked my trade and my master, I told him 
I did; he said he was very glad to hear it, 
hoped that I would stay and learn my trade 
and make myself master of it. My mother 
said that she was glad that I had found a 
man and trade that I liked. 

On Sunday evening, according to pro- 
mise, I returned to my master and went to 
work as usual, and worked about a year at 
my trade; where my mother sent for me, 
being then afilicted with infirmity and sick- 
ness, she made a dying request, by saying 
she hoped that I never would go to sea 
again, that I would stay with my master. 



73 

learn my trade, and be a good boy, I made tbe 
promise to her that I never would go to sea 
again, and staid at home until I had performed 
the last sad sepultural rights; I saw her inter- 
red. After my mother's death I returned to my 
master, and went to work at my trade; in about 
eight months after the death of my mother, 
my father went to Charleston with garden 
seeds and fruit trees, returned home sick, to 
the house of Thomas Mills, a brother-in-law 
of mine, who had married my ^eldest sister, 
with whom my father resided; Mr. Mills, by 
profession a lawyer, drew an instrument of 
writing, purporting to be the last will and 
testament of my father, in which said instru- 
ment Mr. Mills was the sole heir, as it after- 
wards turned out; which will be referred to 
more particularly in the sequel, meaning to re- 
turn to the history of my father whom we 
have left sick at the house of Mr. Mills, in- 
termarried with my eldest sister Mary. When 
my father felt that the hour of his dissolution 
was approaching, he called us around him, and 
told us that he had made such a disposition of 
his worldly matters as to leave us all a small 
patrimonv to begin in the world; and in two 
7" 



74 
days after, he closed his eyes in death and 
sleeps the sleep that never endeth. After my 
father had been interred, as usual upon such oc- 
casions, his will was brought and ushered into 
the presence of the family, and read, in which 
my brother-in-law, lawyer Mills, was left sole 
executor; and he, not content with that, also 
made himself sole heir of my lather's estate, 
personal and mixed, and dealt with according- 
ly; he went on and took possession of all my 
father's property, and converted it to his own 
use, cheated myself and the rest of my broth- 
ers and sisters out of every cent, which my 
father was possessed of. Having for myself 
in the meantime, conceived an opinion of my 
brother-in-law using towards us a mal-prac- 
tice of which I never could be reconciled to, 
from the declaration made by my father in his 
dying moments, of the disposition he had made 
of his worldly affairs, the fraud used by him 
towards us was too glaring to acquiese in 
silence, and resolved in my own mind to chas- 
tise him for the outrage committed upon us by 
him whenever an opportunity should present 
itself. 

In the meantime I went to my elder brother 



75 

whose name was Edward, he then being the 
head boss of Vauxhall gardens at Bunker's 
Hill, and intimated to him the idea that I was 
apprehensive that Mills was going to cheat us 
out of all we had to get; his apprehensions on 
the subject was not as sensitive as mine were, 
he observed that it looked a little like it, yet 
did not think that he. Mills, intended or was 
capable of such a bad design; I told him that I 
was fully convinced in my mind that he was 
both capable and willing, and alleged my 
reasons fof my suspicions, which were that he, 
Mills, became savage to my sister, he used her 
in a manner different from what conjugal af- 
fection and matrimonial ties would warrant, I 
intimated to my brother that if any opportu- 
nity would present itself I would inflict upon 
him a proper chastisement usually denominat- 
ed "club law," my brother told me I should 
be quiet until I became of age as I could do 
nothing during my years of minority, I told 
him by that time he might have it all spent; I 
then urged my brother, as he was of age, to 
see to the affair of Mills' conduct; and make 
him account if his administration is in accord- 
ance with the requisitions of the law of the 



76 

land; my brother Edward though I had better 
wait until the term of my apprenticeship had 
expired, we then could see into the matter 
jointly, I found that my brother's inclination 
led to a different point from mine, and became 
a little excited at the tepid manner in which 
he treated the subject; I gave vent to my feel- 
ings and concluded in my own mind that I 
could put the first impressions into execution, 
and swore I would wallop him the first chance 
I got. I then told my brother that I would go 
to Mrs. Mills and hear from her what she had 
to say; and accordingly that evening I went to 
my sister; I inquired of her if Mr. Mills was 
at home, she told me he was not; I asked her 
if she knew where he was, she said she sup- 
posed that he was at the Cross Keys, a tavern 
which he frequently haunted, and in my sister's 
own language "the place where he always is." 
I then asked her if she thought that Mr. Mills 
would lend me ten dollars, she said she did not 
know. I then requested her to ask her hus- 
band that question, and I would call the next 
evening to receive his answer. This was the 
plan I had resolved to try him upon, was to get 
him to lend me ten dollars, for I was sure on 



77 
my mind, that he would refuse me the favor, and 
then I would open for myself an avenue for 
hostility with him; according to appointment 
the next evening I went to my sister, and he, 
Mills, was out again; I asked her if she had 
asked Mr. Mills the question I had proposed to 
him, she told me that she had, and said that he 
had no right to give any of the money to any 
of us until the nursery, the house, and garden 
were sold, and the youngest child had arrived 
at full age, he asked my sister if she knew 
what I wanted with the money; she told him 
she did not know; he told her he thouglit that 
I had no business with any money while I was 
an apprentice, but I was too wild as things 
were; his way of thinking ill comported with 
my way of thinking, and added fuel to the fire, 
that was burning in my breast against him and 
accelerated my design upon him. I plainly 
told my sister that I thought he would have the 
money all spent before the youngest child 
would become of age; she told me she hoped 
not; and in general terms observed to her I 
would see about it; — bade my sister good even- 
ing and went home. 

Spring of the year was coming on, my 

brother Edward asked me if I would hire 

7* 



78 
myself for Sundays, to wait upon ladies and 
gentlemen, whose fancy led to amuse them- 
selres in visiting Yauxhall gardens. It may not 
be unacceptable to the reader to give him a de- 
scriptiou of the Yauxhall gardens. The loca- 
tion was, at that time, on the top of Bunker's 
hill on the North Point; and contained from 
four to six acres of ground; the enclosure was 
a board fence elevated above the view of any 
person, and white washed on all sides, and oc- 
cupied by a gentleman of the name of De La- 
croix, a Frenchman; and the reader may form 
some idea from the proprietor being a French- 
man, that the garden was fashioned according- 
ly. The garden was nearly square, and it 
contained six gravel walks, running north and 
south, and six running east and west, elegant- 
ly gravelled; the garden being out into thirty- 
six nearly equal squares; at each square was 
erected images representing saints, and in the 
central square was the image of the blessed 
Virgin Mary, carved out of wood as large as 
life. The summer houses were placed at easy 
and regular distances apart, elegantly fitted up, 
the ground was occupied in the rearing of 
flowers and shrubbery generally. The rules of 
the gardens, which every visitor had to ob- 



79 

serve, were, pulling a flower fifty cents fine. 
My brother Fdward, whom I have already 
stated was the cheif gardener of the said gar- 
den, offered me a dollar a day to assist him in 
the garden in waiting on visitors, as aforesaid, 
T told him that I would, and accordingly as- 
sisted him on Sundays, and every Sunday 
night Mr. De Lacroix paid me a dollar for my 
services, rendered during the day. I con- 
tinued for some time in this employ, waiting 
on the gentry visiting the garden, on Sunday; 
and working for my master at my trade until 
my brother Edward and Mons. De Lacroix's 
daughter took it into their heads to make a 
runaway matrimonial match of it, w^hich stung 
the old fellow, and he, out of spite, discharged 
me out of my Sunday employment. 

The reader will please to bear in mind, 
that the garden which 1 have described is not 
now in existence. However there is a garden 
of the same name, and owned by a man of the 
same name in the Bowery. Being in the seven- 
teenth year of my age, my brother Edward 
being gone, gave me an uncontrolable oppor- 
tunity of executing my original design I had 
upon my brother-in-law. I went to see him 
one evening, he was a little intoxicated; he 



80 

asked me what I wanted, I told him I did not 
w^ant any thing in particular more than to pay 
a visit to my sister; he then said that he had 
heard that I was going to give him a wallop- 
ing, that he intended to acquaint my master of 
my conduct; I found from the threats he made 
that he was of a cowardly disposition but did 
not then feel in a disposition to pummel him 
althouiirh I was conscious that I was able for 
the lad. I, however, told him that I would give 
him a lacing, upon that declaration he got his 
cane, and when I saw that he armed himself 
for combat I made at him, and at this juncture 
my sister interfered and begged me to go home. 
I obeyed my sister aud left his house, and went 
home to my master. The next day my lad 
came and made his complaint as he had pro- 
mised, to my master, of my conduct towards 
him; and by way of threat told my master that 
if he did not take care of me, he, Mills, would 
take care of me. My master said he would 
talk to me about it, and told me when I came 

to dinner the charge preferred against me by 
Mr. Mills. My master said I had better stay 
away from Mills's until I became of age; I 
promised my master that I would follow his 
council, that I would not go there any more. 



81 
In the mean time, although I made a promise 
to stay away, which I did not intend to fulfil, 
I resolved in my mind to be revenged on him, 
and it so much inflamed my already heated 
imagination, that I was determined to give the 
lad a lacing. 

I subnnitted the matter existing between 
Mills and myself to an acquaintance of mine 
by the name of John Lane, a baker by 
trade; when I had told him all I had to say 
about it, he said he knew Mills very well, 
and observed that he would not be worth 
one cent by the time all his debts were 
paid; that if he was me, he would give him 
a genteel and good walloping, for that 
would be all I ever would get; I told him if 
I did go, that I would be under the necessi- 
ty of putting out; he said that he would not 
care for that, for said he I intend to put out 
myself in march next, 1 asked him where 
he intended to go to, he said he intended to 
go to Philadelphia; I told him that I would 
go along with him, he then enjoined secre- 
cy upon me so that our plan shold not be 
frustrated, I asked him how much money it 
would take to take us there, he allowed it 
would take about five dollars a piece; I told 



82 
him I could easy raise that sum by that 
time; from that time out, Lane and mysel^ 
associated under every possible circum- 
stance; and on Christmas eve we went to 
amuse ourselves at a dance; it being- very 
common to make merry on holidays; while 
there and in the act of dancinsc we heard 
of a riot that had been raised at the Catho- 
lic Church near the park; Lane and myself 
left the house and went to the church and 
on our way to the church, Lane observed 
that we would stick close together, when 
we came to the theatre of action; the 
church was surrounded with a motley 
crew^ of Irish and sailors, we inquired what 
was the matter, we were informed that the 
Irish had killed a sailor. The Irish and 
the sailors were engaf^'-ed in deadly con- 
flict, and without farther ceremony we en- 
tered the list of combatants and espoused 
the cause of the sailors, and the mob fought 
from the door of the church to Irish town, 
being the distance of about one fourth of a 
mile, and kept on fig-hting all that night. Lane 
and myself, in company with three or four 
more who came with Lane and myself from 
the dance, went into a grogshop in Irish town 



83 
asked the keeper of the shop for a half pint 
of rum; he told us to clear out for a set of 
rascals; without farther ceremony upon any 
account, we fell to and waled the gropshop 
keeper and two more hands who seemed to 
espouse his cause, most elegantly; his wife 
went into the cellar and we shut her down in 
the cellar, and took possession of the shop; 
having by this time cleared out all hands, we 
fell to and drank as much as we pleased, and 
while we were refreshing ourselves the mob 
came in and began to break bottles, glasses, 
pitchers, barrels, and all and every thing they 
could find in the shop; and fought on till day 
light throughout Irishtown; laying all Irishtown 
waste; a great deal of property was destroyed 
by the mob, and a great deal of human blood 
shed; it was sometime in the afternoon on 
Christmas day before I got home, and when I 
was at home I was far from having a sound 
skin, for in the affray somebody let me have a 
lick on the left side of my head with a cudgel 
and laid it open about one inch; and by way of 
uniformity I received also a tap on the right 
side of my head not quite as big as the first, 
and a black eye into the bargain; as for my 
part, all I had to do with that spree ended just 



84 
here. My master asked where I had been, I 
told him I had been in Irishtown; he said, I 
thought so, for you wear the Irish "Coat of 
Arms," about you, and added that it was a 
wonder that I had not my brains knocked out 
into the bargain. 

The next scrape I got myself into, long 
before my head was healed, and not ex- 
ceeding four days alter the mob in Irish- 
town, was at a dance at a Mr. Green's. 
Being a notorious dance-house, we went for 
the express purpose of raising a row and 
were gratified to our heart's content, for 
we had scarcely got into the house, until the 
crew of the English packet came in, and 
they scarcely had time to touch bottom^ 
when we let them have it, and the way 
it went there was nobody's business only 
those whom it concerned; we had a battle- 
royal, and the first thing 1 knowed of my- 
self I was in the hands of a watchman; as 
he was taking me on to the watch-house, 
he treated me, uncourteously he had me 
by the collar, I told him I had occasion to 
obey a call of nature; he let go his hold by 
my collar, and as soon as he let go his 
hold, I put out, and the way 1 scampered 



85 
off was just the right way, and he had no 
other than legbail lor my appearance; the 
next night, however, I had the bad luck to 
fall a captive into the same hands I had 
been in the evening" before, and my cap- 
tor was a good old Dutchman, no doubt of 
the strain of those good old and venera- 
ble burghers of the old school; when he 
laid hold on me he said "I dinks as you are 
de lad as I had a hold of last night," I told 
him I thought not, that I never was here 
before, he said '^No, but I dinks I ketched 
you down at the Greens;" I told him I did 
not know the Greens. I then called my 
comrade who had attended me to French 
John's, the place where I fell into the 
Dutchman's hands the second time, my 
comrade vouched for me to the watchman, 
that I had not been up town for a week 
before, he was staggered at the informa- 
tion my comrade gave him about me; he 
said, "I might be mishtaken as dere ish so 
menny poys;" he then let me go, and off 
me and my comrades started for Greens, 
and after we had been at the Greens as 

the watchmen gaid, about one hour, and in 

8 



86 

our tanti-ams, Green's being in the same 
ward and in the same street, and under 
the jurisdiction of the same watchman, he 
came down there, and said, ''well my lads- 
you ish here now, we told the u^atchman 
that we had just come there to become ac- 
quainted, he told us he thought that we 
would very soon become acquainted, and 
enjoined good behavior on us; we told him 
we would try and do that, nothing more 
happened of any consequence, and we 
scampered off to our respective homes. 

The holy days being over, I was put to 
night-school by my master, and I happen- 
ed by some means or other to miss attend- 
ing school as often as I happened to at- 
tend it: one nis^ht that I failed in attendinc^ 
school having business at a Mr. Francis 
Drake's in Orange street, in lending a hand 
to a dance that happened to be there, 
when we came to the door, a shilling was 
demanded by the door keeper as an ad- 
mittance fee, we told him we had no small 
change about us, but when we came in we 
would pay him; he said he was not quite 
so green; that he had been sucked in toa 



87 

often for that; we found we could not get 
in by stratagem, we went out to the front 
door at the street and becran to kick up a 
row amongst ourselves which was merely 
done to call his presence and attendance 
there, and we succeeded in the design, for 
he came as we wished he should, to tlie 
front door to see what was the matter, 
while we had hnn there we surrounded him 
and we kicked and knocked him about till 
we had all slipped in; he came and report- 
ed his case to Mr. Drake, how we had mal- 
treated him, and that we were a setof au" 
dacious rascals, and had not paid our en- 
trance. Mr. Drake asked him, if he knew 
any of us, he said, he did not know, that it 
was too dark to be sure, yet he thought he 
could point some of us out, he said that, at 
any rate, none of us had any tickets. Mr. 
Drake came.up to me, and asked me for 
my ticket, and by this time I had ingratiat- 
ed myself into the ^-ood graces of a young 
lady, to vouch for me certain facts, to clear 
myself, which she consented to, and ac- 
cordingly she bore me out; I repHed to Mr* 
Drake's inquiry, that I had got a glass of 



88 
punch at the bar for the ticket, and that 
me, and the young lady I was in company 
with, had helped me to drink it. She was 
called upon to verify my assertion, and she 
confirmed it, by answering the appeal made 
to her, in the affirmative, and said that I 
was clear; and Drake catching the word, 
well then you are clear; in the mean time, 
snug as I felt, still I believed that I was 
the biggest scamp among the whole bunch, 
for, injustice to myself, I was the original 
inventor of the plan to get the door-keeper 
into the street, and to kick and cuff him in 
the manner we did, and was one among the 
first who commenced the exercise on him. 
Mr. Drake asked several others for their 
tickets, some had one excuse, some had 
spent their tickets at the bar, &c. &c.; at 
last he inquired of a lad of the name of 
Dick Turner for his ticket, Dick told him 
it was none of his business; that reply of 
Dick's, was paramount to a declfiration of 
internal wars. Drake then told him, that 
he believed, that he was one of the rascals. 
Dick told Drake, he was a liar. Drake 
drew his club at Dick, and Dick seeing the 
storm gathering to burst over his head, and 



89 

to avert it, he availed himself of this ad- 
vantage of pug-ilistic science, let Drake 
have a Kenset and felled him; we all took 
the hint at Dick's performance; chiined in, 
whipped Drake and the door-keeper, clear- 
ed the ball room of stray hands; blew the 
lights out; drank as much as we wanted, 
and cleared the gangway, before time 
could be allowed to call upon the watch- 
man for aid; and dispersed and went to 
our respective homes; and took care not 
to visit that part of the city for about two 
weeks. Dancing was in them times so very 
fashionable, that it was no difficulty to get 
to one any night in the week; the dancing 
lever began to rage in Harman street, 
there being a gang of about eighty strong, 
where all hands attended to the bellows^ 
We heard that a dance was to be at Mrs. 
Cunningham's, in Harman street; we re. 
paired there, and our force mustered 
strong. We learned from a girl, that no 
boys would be admitted; we told the girl 
we would get in any how, but that she 
should say nothing about our intention. 
We laid a plan to get Mrs. Cunningham 
away, by telling her, that her sister, who 
8* 



90 

lived about one square from her, had fell 
and had broke her arm, and requested Mrs. 
Cunningham's immediate attention; when 
we had delivered our messao^e to Mrs. 
Cunningham, away she went post haste to 
see her sister. In a short time, a lad went 
to the door-keeper, and told him that a lady 
was at the door, and wished to speak 
to him; he told the boy to ask the 
lady in; the boy told the door-keeper that 
she had not time; he came out, and as soon 
as he came to the door, the way we pum- 
melled him was a caution to door-keepers, 
and the whole posse of us slipt in; by this 
time the old lady came back in a wonder- 
ful splutter, she began to scold the door- 
keeper for letting us all in. Yes, by G — , 
said he, we had got him out, and almost 
killed him, which assertion of his savored 
strongly of the truth, — in confirmation 
thereof, she, Mrs. Cunningham, said, we 
hf>d made up a lie to get her away. She 
told the door-keeper to call the watchman; 
she would shew us what we were doing; 
accordingly two watchmen were brought, 
and they came in, and when they entered 



91 

the domici], she addressed herself to the 
watchmen, that here were a gang* of boys 
who had come with an intent to mob her 
house; the watchmen asked us who had 
let us in. We told them that nobody was 
at the door when we came in; we heard a 
noise on the street, we came just to see 
the dance; they then asked the door-keeper 
if we were the ones who had him out on 
the street; he said, he did not know, it was 
too dark to tell any one, but his belief 
was, that we were the fellows; the watch- 
men told him, if he could not discriminate 
who they were, that it was impossible for 
them to tell, and as long as v/e behaved 
ourselves well, that they could do nothing 
with us, and by way of interrorum, told 
the old lad} and her door-keeper, that if we 
did not behave ourselves to give them a 
call; and after they had given the above 
charge, the watchmen retired; my com- 
rades danced among the rest, and things 
went on smooth for a while. I, for my parit, 
never did dance, and to amuse myself, I 
walked up to the bar and called for a small 
glass of punch, which I drank, and paid the 



92 

old lady for it. I observed to her, that she 
had a full house, with a view to court the 
good graces of her ladyship; and to let her 
have it the more an) ply in the outcome; 
she observed, that there were too many 
boys, more than she wished, and asked me 
if I knew any of them; I told her, I did not, 
I only knew one or two, that I, for my part, 
did not reside in the city, that I lived on 
Long Island, and merely called to see the 
city fashions. She said, she thought 
she had seen me before; I replied, that 
might be, as I was in the city nearly 
every day. She then told me to try to get 
acquainted with some of the girls. I told 
her I would after a while. The boys b^- 
gan to get their blood a little warm from 
dancing, and as that got up, they began 
to get glad, and as their gladness increas- 
ed, of course they began to get too loud. 
She told the boys, that if they did not keep 
"less noise, she would call for the watch- 
men. I told them that they ought not make 
so much noise; one of them told me, it was 
none of my business. The old woman told 
me, I shauld say nothing more to them; 



93 

she believed they were a very quarrelsome 
set, which was very well. Little did she 
dream of Indians about in me. She next 
wished that they were gone, that no- 
thing could be made while they were 
there. 1 chimed in with her ideas, and 
thought not. She asked me if I would take 
another drink; I told her I did not care 
much; she tlieu gave me a siBall glass of 
punch; I drank the punch, and a^tcr that I 
walked round to a girl, who sat beside one 
of my comrades, and informed him, that I 
had got on the good side of the old woman. 
I told him how she had given me a glass 
of punch, and told me she wished these 
boys were gone, that she would make no- 
thing while they were here. G — , says he^ 
I'll go up to her, and I'll knock something 
out of her too. I told him I would go along, 
and I would ask him how he liked the 
dance: so we both went up to the bar, and 
he called for a glass of punch, and began 
to feel into his pocket for his ticket; after 
having searched awhile for it, (like hunt, 
ing a needle in a hay-stack, for he never 
had any,) he said he had 'ost it. She saidj 
it was immaterial, that if he had had it, he 



94 

could have his glass of punch; so up he 
picked the glass, and drank the punch. I 
then asked him, how he liked the dance. 
He said, that nobody could dance for them 
boys, that had got in lor nothing. She said, 
yes, and that she would have them put 
out, and she went and gave the door- 
keeper her orders. The door-keeper came 
and told the boys, that they had now danc- 
ed long enough, that they now must give 
up the floor to other people. The boys 
quaintly replied to the door-keeper's man- 
date, that they would dance just as long as 
they pleased, that their money was just as 
good as that of any other body. The rea- 
der must be now informed of the location 
of the room we were in; we stop hereto 
give an account of it, as we presently will 
have to describe the row that ensued. 

The room had been formerly occupied as a 
store room, with two folding doors in the front, 
closed by a large bar in the inside; the door of 
egress aud ingress was at the partition of the 
house; in the mean time as I was on excellent 
terms with madam Cunningham, I drew the 
fcar that bolted the folding doors, in the event 



95 
that any watchmen should make their appear- 
ance amongst us; and I told the boys that I 
had removed the bar, and that, that way was 
clear to make our escape in a quarter which 
they least expected. Some of the company 
told the boys that they wanted part of the en- 
joyments for the evening, that they, (the boys,) 
should not enjoy and engross the whole of it 
to themselves; the boys told them that they 
would do just as they pleased; and with that I 
walked up to Mrs. Cunningham, and I observ- 
ed to her that the boys were acting too bad; 
that they felt disposed to give nobody a chance 
to participate in the sport, but themselveSj slie 
said, that she really would not suffer it any 
longer, that she would have them put out. She 
went to the doorkeeper a second time and told 
him he must absolutely put out them boys; the 
doorkeeper said. Egad I'll soon have them out? 
he accordingly went to the door and got in 
hand a club, and when armed, he stept in 
amongst the boys, and peremptorily ordered 
them out; and laying hands on one of our gang, 
and no sooner, than the violation on his 
part of that sacred right, of invading the pri- 
vilege of personal protection, than the person 
assaulted in his person, made a happy return. 



96 
of attack; and with a short tap, laid the gen- 
tleman doorkeeper sprawling on the floor. 
Then the spree began, the old woman ran out 
for the watchman; by the time she came back^ 
reinforced with watchmen there were a good 
many men laying in the floor; and the girls 
cleared themselves in the best way they could. 
We had extinguished all the lights in the 
room, save one; by the time the watchman 
came in, as they, the watchman entered by the 
door at the entry, we threw open tlie folding 
doors leading to the front, and out we put, the 
whole gang of us; and acting possum with 
the old lady, I went in again to see how things 
looked, after the affray was over. She was 
just in the act of giving the watchmen a drink 
as I entered. One of them advanced upon,, 
and seized me, saying to the old lady, here is 
one of the boys now; said she, no, indeed, 
that young man was here all the evening, and 
was one of the most civil of all that was in 
the house, and asked me to come and take a 
drink. (Yes, indeed, thinks I to myself, my 
old lady, you are rightly fixed now.) The door- 
keeper was most horridly hammered; and he 
was raving and cursing, as I thought, scienti- 



97 

fically; he had, at least said of it, some system 
about it, as he laid it down thick and strong, 
saying, if he knew who they were, liow he 
would fix them. In the mean time, I let the 
old woman have another of my left handed 
spangs. I told her it was the worst spree I 
had ever witnessed. She said with a good 
deal of self-satisfaction, that she would be 
bound, that the next ball they would make? 
that them rascals should not get into the house* 
I inquired of her, when she would likely have 
^he next dance. She said on Saturday night 
next, at the same time she gave me a cordial 
invitation to come, and that's the time she 
missed it. I promised her, that if I was in 
the city that I would attend. She said, that 
some nice girls then would be there. I went? 
after our conversation had ended, in quest of 
my comrades, and found some of them. They 
asked me, how the land lay, I told them the 
w^atchmen were gone, and how our landlady- 
had given me a grog. They inquired also, 
how the door-keeper looked; I told them that 
he was pretty much battered, and the rest of 
the hands that had attended were gone, and 
that she would have another ball on next Sa- 
9 



98 

turday evening, and there was the end of that 
spree. 

One evening, a parcel of us lads went to 
the house of a certain Jolin M'Dermot, keep- 
er of a victual and oyster shop, in George's 
street, New-York, with a view to set things 
to rights in his establishment, as he deserved 
it, being of an overbearing turn of mind, and 
saucy as mischief itself; and we came to the 
conclusion to put him where he ought to be. 
After we had got our gang together, and 
thought ourselves strong enough, we began to 
play, what was termed "patent billiards," for 
drink and oysters. We played about one 
hour. We began to quarrel amongst ourselves, 
as he thought, to lead the lad on the ice, and as 
we became too loud for Mr. M'Dermot, he ap- 
peared amongst us, arxd told us, that if we did 
not keep less noise, that he would put the 
whole of us out. To this menace of his, we just 
told him, that he could not do that. No soon- 
er than he had heard our answer, than he laid 
to grabbing at some of us, and we took the 
hint, and let him have it. The first thing that 
he was conscious of, was, he found himself 



99 

sprawling on the floor, received the hearty 
kicks of every one who could get foot on him. 
Some of the spare hands fell upon the negroes 
who were employed by him to shock oysters, 
and drove them into the cooking room, and 

beat them, poor d -Is, into a jelly; being 

in a cellar, this whole performance was con- 
ducted in silence, unknown to the watchmen. 
After we had laid Mr. M'Dermot and his 
hands speechless, the way his geese, chickens, 
oysters, hams, &c. were slashed about, was 
nobody's business. 

After the glories of the several sprees, as I 
was a very apt scholar in this kind of street 
etiquette; in the mean time I would attend 
night school by time, to keep up what may be 
termed a liberal attention to classic lore. 
What I forgot to learn one night, I'd be sure 
to learn the next. I attended night school for 
ten nights in regular succession. 

One evening, fancy led me to the house of 
Cunningham, son of my old hostess, who kept 
a grocery store, in the basement story of the 
house, and the second story of the house was 
occupied by some ladies of my acquaintance. 



100 

I called in to see them; while there, some 
other young men came in, and they began to 
kick up a row, one oC the young ladies went 
down and apprized Mr. Cunningham of their 
bad conduct; he came in with a club in his 
hand, and hit me a lick on the side of my face 
and knocked me down stairs, heels over head; 
and as I fell he gave me another blow on my 
back to help me falling, which I did not get 
well of for two weeks; his mal- treatment so 
incensed my spirit for revenge, that I watched 
my opportunity for six or eight nights to reta- 
liate on him, as he was by no means justified 
in, to chastise me in the manner he did, as I 
behaved myself orderly. One evening, a 
chance presented itself, I was standing on the 
pavement with seven stones in my pockets;as he 
was walking round the counter, I let slip a war- 
hawk and missed him, the stone took a keg, 
and spent its idle force there; he came to the 
door and looked up and down the street; by 
this time I was standing in the street; he did 
not see me; he went in again, and went up to 
the desk, and while he was standing at his 
desk, I prepared for another shot, and let slip 
another, and hit him on the jaw and knocked 



101 

him down; they raised a noise in the store- 
room, and I went in to see how things were, 
and there was Mr. Cunningham knocked stiff 
as a board — by all I could hear and see, I 
found that his jaw was fractured and pretty 
much shattered; after I saw how he was, I 
walked off, and allowed that his jaw and my 
jaw and back would have a race to see which 
would get well first. After this achievement 
of mine, I went to night school for some time 
after quite regular. 

One Sunday, my particular croney, John 
Lane, and myself, we took a walk on the Bat- 
tery, with a view to devise plans, to make 
our exit as the month of March was approach- 
ing, and it being the time fixed by us for our 
departure from New-York for Philadelphia. 
He told me that he would be ready about the 
tenth of March. I told him, that the tenth of 
March would be too early for me, that I could 
get no work at that time. He told me that 
should be no objection, as he was sure of a 
job as soon as he came there, and we made a 
permanent vow to one another, to maintain 
each until we were both permanently fixed ia 
a birth. I told John Lane, that I intended to 
9* 



102 

tr)^ Mills for the ten dollars which I held in 
reserve as a trial cock for my brother in-law- 
He said, it was not worth while to ask him, 
but to give him a good whipping. I told him 
I intended to ask my sister, I did not even let 
Lane know my secret design I had upon Mills; 
yet he advised me to what I intended to exe- 
cute. He told me not to deceive him, as he 
depended on my accompanying him. I told 
him he might depend upon me, if I lived — by 
this time we came to the wharves, walking up 
town, and there we parted. The next week 
1 went to see my sister Mary married to Mills, 
and he. Mills, was from home. I asked her 
to lend me ten dollars for a while. She told 
me she had no money then, yet allowed she 
would get some by Sunday. I had a parcel 
of ornaments and pictures, I carried them to 
my sister on the Sunday she allowed to have 
the ten dollars for me, I told her to keep them 
for me until I was out of my apprenticeship, 
as I had no way of keeping them. She took 
them from me, and gave me the ten dollars, 
and forbid me saying any thing, for fear 
Mills might get to hear it. I assured my sis- 
ter there would be no danger. I went home 



103 

to my master, laid my money away, and mu o 
it my business to see John Lane the next eve i- 
ing, and told hirn I had made the raise of ten 
dollars, at which he expressed his glad feel- 
ings, and added, that by the time fixed by us 
to put out, he would be able to raise fifteen 
or twenty dollars. I told him I would do all 
I could to get more. The next week, me and 
another boy got a barber''s shop to plaster, for 
which we got fourteen dollars, which we di- 
vided equally, so that I had seven dollars 
more to add to my stock to scamper upon; 
and while we were at the barber shop, a man 
living two doors from the shop, he had a par- 
tition to plaster; he asked us to come up to see it, 
and see what we would do it for. We went 
up and took a look at it, and told him we would 
do it for three dollars. He asked us, how 
much we would have, if we found the mortar. 
We asked him how many coats he wanted it 
to have; he said one would do it, we could 
make it smooth enougli for papering. We told 
him, we would do it for six dollars, and do it 
well. He asked us when we could do it; as 
soon as we are done with the barber shop. 
We told him we would have to do it at night; 



104 

he said he did not care, and in that week it 
should be done, and accordingly we did the 
plastering. However, we used finese with the 
barber, we made him make more stuff than 
he wanted; we bought it from him, and fixed 
the partition; he paid us the six dollars, we 
divided it, and by this time I had twenty dol- 
lars, for expenses on our contemplated jour- 
ney. 1 made it my business to see John Lane 
on Sunday following, and I reported my suc- 
cess in makicg another raise of ten dollars 
more. He asked me how I made it. I told 
him by plastering a barber shop, and the par- 
tition, and other worlc Upon which delibera- 
tion, we came to the conclusion to hook it. 
We were to get our clothes ready, have ano- 
ther blow out by way of a clear up shower to 
our sprees, and then.put out between two days. 
We accordingly pat our clotlies to a certain 
Mrs. Paxton, a widow, whose occupation was 
that of wash-woman, to have them all ready 
for a go. We met our comrades one night to 
have the farewell spree at Mr. Drakes, and 
according to appointment, about fifty of our 
gang met, and made a contract for our admit- 
tance fee. We agreed to go and make an ap- 



105 

pearance, ten in number, and the rest of the 
gang were to rush in, when the ten who had 
paid went in. We called Mr. Drake out, and 
asked him, if he would let ten of us in for a 
dollar. He said he would, if we would be 
civil, and make no disturbance in the house. 
We made a promise we would not make any 
noise; that we would behave ourselves quiet 
and orderly. We went and gave notice of our 
proceedings with Drake to our comrades, that 
the bargain was struck, and that we would go 
up to the door-keeper, and that they should lay 
shoulders to, and begin the push forward, to 
force the door open, and some should lay hands 
on the door-keeper, and pull him away from 
his station, with a view to prevent him of 
knowing who was who; and the door was 
cleared of its keeper, and the portals were 
soon forced as wade open as the hinges of the 
door would allow, and in we all went. Mr. 
Drake allowed, that we were a very long ten 
and confessed that we caught him napping that 
time, and gave us assurances that we would 
never catch him again. The door-keeper 
called for the watchman, two of them came in 
and asked what was the matter. He told 
them, that a parcel of boys came in, and 



106 

kicked him out of doors. The watchmen ask* 
ed him which were the boys that had kicked 
him. The door-keeper picked me and four 
others as the offenders. We called on ou^ 
comrades to prove our innocence, and that we 
had paid our entrance fee, as we had contract* 
ed for with Mr. Drake. This information, and 
verification of our comrades for us, complete- 
ly unhinged the door-keeper^s accusation a- 
gainst us, which fell to the ground in the esti- 
mation of the watchmen; and they told the 
door-keeper, that he must make the best of a 
bad bargain he could; and as long as they 
(meaning us boys,) behaved ourselves, that 
they, the watchmen had nothing to do with us. 
The boys began to dance, and danced for about 
an hour, and then we began to set things to 
rights; We broke every glass in the whole 
house, and cleared it of men, women, and 
children; and after that performance, we clear- 
ed ourselves from the premises. We scam- 
pered off to a grog-shop, and there we took 
our farewell drink together, and the shaking 
of hands in the last farewell being over, Dick 
Turner was to take us over the North river 
in a pleasure boat, together with about a half 



107 

dozen of choice spirits, to accompany us by 
way of escort. 

The time for our departure had by this 
time nearly arrived; I went to the washer^ 
woman, and got our clothes, and gave them 
to Dick Turner, and told him to wait there 
for about an hour, when we would be back, 
and then we would set sail. I had a small 
affair to settle with Mr. Mills, which I could 
notleave undone; accordingly, accompanied 
by John Lane, we went up the bowery to 
the "cross key's" tavern; I told John to go 
in and inquire if Mr. Mills was in; he 
went in and found Mr. Mills there, he 
told Mr. Mills that there was a gentleman 
in waiting at his house to see him; Mr. Mills 
came out with Lane, and did not let myself 
be known to him until We come to a part 
of the city where the watchmen are not too 
handy; I then fell upon him, and I ham- 
mered him until I thought I had the worth 
of principal and interest out of him for my 
share of my honored father's estate; and 
that was the only share I ever had from 
him, and depend upon it I did my last job 
well; after 1 had dressed the lad, I did not 



108 
hear fiom him for about two years after- 
wards. We then went to Dick Turner and 
the lads who were to go aloni^ with us over 
the North river, and found them at the 
wharf at their post Uke men; we got 
into the pleasure boat and we sailed 
across the river; John Lane and myself 
took our final adieu of the city of New- 
York. We landed in safety on the Jersey 
shore, and went to the ferry-house, and 
made promise to write to one another 
to tell of our adventures; in our final exit, 
the city of New York lost two very fine 
boys, in John Lane and myself; however, I 
may be premature in my opinion, I will 
leave the reader to judge lor himself. John 
Lane and myself were on the road from 
New York to Philadelphia about three days 
and a half; and arrived in the latter named 
city in safety about the middle of March; 
we called a halt in a tavern in Market St. 
at the sign ol the black horse; my comrade 
inquired of the Ian llord if he knew a man 
of the name of John Kline, a baker resid- 
ing in Cambden, Northern Liberty, in Phil- 
adelphia; he told John Lane that he did 



109 

know him, and said that one of his (Kline^s) 
hands was in the markets every day; that 
he would shew him to us; and the next 
morning our landlord did as he had pro* 
mised, he shewed us the boy; we went to 
him and asked him if he lived with Mr. 
John Kline in Cambden; he said he did; 
after he had disposed uf his marketing*, we 
went with him to Mr. Kline's; Mr. Kline ex- 
pressed himselt'as being very glad to see Mr, 
Lane, as he had come on. Lane introduced 
me to him as a plasterer, gave my name, 
&c. Mr. Kline was a man that preferred a 
life of single blessedness, and had to board 
ab»road; John Lane inquired of him if he 
knew any place where I could get board* 
ing. Mr. Kline said he would speak to his 
landlady, perhaps she would board me a 
week or two; he spoke to Mrs. Smith for me, 
and she gave me boarding. John Lane told 
Mr. Kline, that he felt fatigued from our 
walk, that he would rest a day or two be- 
fore he would go to work; in the mean 
time we would take a look round to see the 
city, and to see if I could get a birth to 
work. We did so, and I went into every 
10 



110 

building that I could see going on, inquir- 
ing for work; ot length I came to one, the 
master's name was Timothy Currans, I 
asked him, if he wanted a hand; he said 
he would in the course of a week. He 
asked me where I had learned my 
trade; I told him in New- York. He 
asked me who I had learned my trade with. 
I told him with a Mr. King. He said I 
looked young for a journeyman. I told him 
I had bought my time; he next said, then 
I suppose you call yourself a master work- 
man. I told him, I did, at any kind of plain 
work. He asked me what I would be ask- 
ing a day. I told him, I did not know the 
rules of the city, and asked him what was 
generally given; he told me from one and 
a quarter to tv/o dollars per day; and said 
if I could cornish, that he would give me 
two dollars a day. I told him 1 could not 
cornish. I asked him, if he boarded any of 
his hands; he said he never had boarded 
any. I told him, if he would board me, I 
would come two weeks upon trial to see 
how he liked me, and how I hked him. 
He asked me in the next question, if I had 
any tools. I told him no, I had none; he then 



Ill 

said, that 1 should go to Rose's factory 
across the Schuylkill, and buy myself a 
set of tools, as I could get them cheaper at 
the factory than any place in the city; in 
the mean time, John Lane and myself, we 
cruized about the balance of the week, to 
see and learn the fashions, and we were 
apt scholars, being members of the old 
school in New-York; and I thought, learn- 
ed pretty fast, for we became perfectly 
acquainted in Southwark, being the lower 
part of Philadelphia, where all the lads 
with specks in their characters lived. 

On Monday, I then repaired to the house 
of Mr. T. Currans to fall to work, and work- 
ed for him the two weeks we had agreed 
upon; as the time for trial to see how we 
liked one another; at the end of that time, I 
asked him what he thought he would be 
able to give me ^for a week's work. He 
said, that if I would engage myself to him 
lor the season, he would pay me at the 
rate of eight dollars per week. I told him 
I would engage myself to him for the sea- 
son at that price, provided he would find 
me in boarding; he agreed to my proposi- 
tion, provided I would pledge one weeks 



112 

work as a security for him, which I as- 
sented to; and to confirm our contract, we 
entered into an article of agreement, at the 
prices set forth above for the season; hav- 
ing now a whole summer's work before 
me, and a birth secured, I fell to and be* 
gan to work. 

I worked one month, and being* hand- 
somely fixed, and so was my companion, 
for he made about twenty-five dollars a 
month. I seen him, and urged upon him 
the necessity of writing to our comrades in 
New-York, to let them know how we fared, 
and to let them, in answer to our letter, let 
us know howthe land lay. We accordingly 
wrote the letter, and in it, we inquired 
how my brother-in-law came on. Dick 
Turner, he answered our letter, informing 
us, that Mills and my master were both on 
the hunt for me, one to have me to atone 
for the violation of the law, the other to get 
me to work, and Mr. Drake he also had 
joined in the hunt. He was successful in 
his watch, for he caught three of the gang, 
of which we were honorary members, and 
they had to pay the sum of twenty-five doU 



113 

!ars, to make fair weather with him. We 
of course, found ourselves bound by the 
ties of friendship to help our mates, and 
sent our quota to our cronies to help them 
out of the scrape in which they had been 
caught. Nothing- of any importance hap- 
pened worth noticing", being every day 

occurrences, with the exception of a fond- 
ness I found insensibly stealing upon my 
affections, occasioned by a young lady 
with whom I became acquainted, for about 
three months, all which time I worked 
faithfully at my business. Now to talk of 
what my feelings were, when I found my- 
seli in love with a lady fitted by nature to 
fill my eye to a fraction, can be better felt 
by the reader than described by me, as it 
is a thing which in its very nature is inhe- 
rent, and we all like it, and 1 began to feel 
queer, very queer; and one day being full 
of it, I spoke to my companion about it, 
and he gave me my castle which I had 
built in my imagination, a death blow, by 
saying, he would be bamboozled if he 
would marry any girl with red hair, of 
which my dulcet dear had a very beautiful 

head full. Mr. Master too found out where 
10* 



114 

I had come to, he wrote a letter to me, to 
learn from me, if I would come back and 
work for him, he would clear away all dif- 
ficulties which were hanging" over me, and 
allow me a dollar a day besides. I wrote 
to him in reply, that I would be back in 
the course of about two months, and con- 
sulted John Lane about the matter; he gave 
me his opinion, that I had better stay where 
I was; this idea was in unison with my 
own, on the subject, and of course it was 
adopted by me. I earned money fast, and 
I expended a reasonable share of my earn- 
ings in good clothing, of which I had got 
for myself a very decent set, the balance of 
my money went for the first three months, 
light come, light go. Having always a 
propensity for fun, an opportunity present- 
ed itself to give loose to, and gratify it, and 
as all things have beginnings, the following 
Bcrape in which I participated, had its ori- 
gin in the following manner: A number of 
FRIENDS purchased a suitable lot of giound 
in Cambden, on which they erected a 
house of worship for Africans, who, after 
some time, became so numerous as well 



115 

as clamorous in their worship, that they 
were estimated (at a fair calculation) by 
the neighborhood as a nuisance, and to rid 
themselves of their noisy blackies, they fell 
upon the plan to get the boys and let them 
make a set upon them. The boys were as 
ready as wiUing, as they had assurances 
from the neighbors to see them safe 
through. A conspiracy was formed, and 
my friend, John Lane, gave me notice; so 
one Sunday night, the evening in which 
the darkies had worship, we repaired to 
the theatre of action, when we were about 
fifty or sixty strong, we had formed a plan, 
moving systematically, and the watchword 
was "Glory." We consisted of butchers, 
ropemakers, carpenters, plasterers, and 
bakers. The ropemaker's were armed 
with weapons called colts, which is a short 
rope with a heavy knot at the end; the rest 
were armed by the butcher's, they had 
calves' tails with bullets twisted in the hair. 
The first thing we done, we got an old he- 
goat, put a dog< chain round his neck, and 
had him chained ready for action; he was 
prepared by some of our hands in the most 



116 

ludicrous manner imaginable; he was 
blind-folded,' and had a part of an old sheet 
stripped over him, and goats are not the 
most pleasing smelling animal at best 
in a natural way, and his smell was ex- 
ceedingly heightened, insomuch so, that he 
outstunk ihe devil himself, being daubbed 
all over. All things being now in readi- 
ness, we got the door-keepers away, by 
telling^ them that some bo\s intended to 
disturb their meeting, and if they would 
come to one side, we would help to catch 
them; while we decoyed the door-keepers, 
the rest of the gang brought up the goat to 
the door, and as the words fell from the 
mouth of the venerable preacher, "Don't 
you see the devil a coming;" into the meet- 
ing-house they popped the blind-lulded 
goat, and he seen the light at the altar more 
distinctly than any think else, he made for 
the altar moving along the aisle, straig-ht- 
way, and as soon as he was safely moored 
in church, they fastened the door on the 
outside; and all the screaming and halloo- 
ing that fell, these exceeded all things I 
ever heard. A rush was made for the door, 
and it was fast; the blackies forced the 



117 

windows, and as sure as any set foot on the 
outside of the church — bip, a calf tail or a 
colt would take him, and down he'd go; 
and they kept on until nearly the whole of 
the darkies were stretched out. No parti- 
cular regard was paid to sex, they levelled 
them indiscriminately. 

The next day, a general search was 
made to find out who hal been concerned 
in the spree, and several butchers were 
taken up on suspicion, and that was about 
the amount of the inquiry, as nothing could 
be proved against them; they came out 
clear, yet the costs for defence was about 
twenty dollars, which sum was raised by 
the citizens. This was the first spree I 
had a hand in since my arrival in Philadel- 
phia. 

The next day I went to my usual avo- 
cation, and worked for about two weeks, 
and in the evenings we would walk out in 
the market-house, that was the place of 
general rendezvous for privateering, and 
among the first things that threw itself in 
our way as an object of diversion, was an 
old woman who frequented the market^ 
house and the adjacent neighborhood, 



118 

who was in the habit of inakinf^ some kind 
of soup, called pepper-pot. She was as 
cross-grained as the pepper-pot itself. We 
concluded to have a little fun at her ex- 
pense. We got a ball of twine, and waited 
our old lady's arrival in the market-housej 
at length we heard her usual note of pep- 
per-pot. My comrades stopped her to buy 
of her a bowl of her soup, and while they 
were drinking it, I tied the twine around 
the handle of her kettle. After she had 
made all the sales she could, she put her 
ketde on her head, and started off; and as 
she went, I paid her steps with twine as 
she was going down the market-house; and 
as she was going along, she met two young 
men to sell some of her pepper-pot; and 
as she was preparing to take the kettle off 
her head, I gave the twine a sharp pulh 
and down came kettle and pepper-pot on 
the floor of the market-house. She began 
to curse the lads for a set of rascals, for 
knocking her ketde off her head; and with- 
out more ado about it, seized one ol them; 
she being under the impression, that it was 
them who had spilled her soup, and began 
to call upon the watchman for assistance J 



119 

by this we ran up to them, and while the 
scuffle lasted between the old lady and the 
lad with whom she had grappled. I cut 
off the twine I had tied around the handle 
of her kettle. The watchman he came to 
her assistance, and asked the old lady 
which was the lad. She was not able to 
distinguish the one in the lot, and they 
thought that it looked as if there might be 
short holds about for them; being taken by 
surprize they put out, and no doubt thank- 
ed their stars, that they got off as well as 
they did. The watchman asked her, if it was 
any of us that had demolished her pepper-pot. 
She said no, and praised us as very clever 
young men, that we had just bought some 
from her; and that was the time she was mis- 
taken. 

My companion, John Lane and myself, took 
a few days to ourselves, as a kind of blue- 
Monday. We went to the wharf, and while 
there, a number of butchers being assembled, 
in the act of buying calves, I seen a pick- 
pocket, he made free enough to ease the poc- 
ket of one of them of its contents. He took 
his pocket-book and walked down the wharf, 
quick time. I went to the man he had robbed. 



120 

and asked him if he had not lost his pocket- 
book. He told me, he had not. 1 asked him 
to look, as I had seen a man filch it. He 
searched, and it sure enough was gone. I 
pointed out to him the man who had it; he pur- 
sued him, and the villain got on board a 
packet, and we followed him; when we came 
on board, he had got into the cabin, and laid 
upon a settee resting himself. The butcher, 
after I had identified the thief, charged him 
with the theft, and the thief denied it, and 
they seized one another, and raised a rumpuss. 
I became somewhat frightened, and the cap- 
tain he came to see what was the matter, after 
he learned the accusation, and the pocket- 
book not being found on his passenger, he ra- 
ther sided with the thief. The butcher told 
him, he was no better than the passenger, or 
he would not take his part; and they, the ac- 
cuser and accused went on shore. The but- 
cher he went on board the packet again to 
search for his pocket-book, and at length 
found it lying under the settee whereon the 
lad lay, and the pick-pocket being a lad who 
understood things better than the butcher did, 
effected his escape. The butcher asked me 



121 

what my charge was for the information I had 
imparted to him. I told him, nothing at all, 
Sir; lie pulled out a five dollar note and hand- 
ed it to me, and insisted upon my taking it, 
which at length I did to oblige him. 

Strange as it may appear, (there is some 
things in the affairs of man, always calculated 
to lead to detection,) I was made the instrument 
by which the butcher regained his stolen pro- 
perty, and by his bad management the thief 
escaped punishment, and that same interposi- 
tion by the same means, I was made the in- 
strument of detecting another villain in the 
fact of theft, which happened as follows: — 
One day, as we were coming from our work 
to dinner, in company of two carpenters and 
a plasterer, we were met by a negro man in 
Market near Chesnut-street, he appeared dis- 
tressed and feigned to raise a cry, saying he 
had a rent to pay, and no money wherewith 
to discharge it, and asked us to buy from him 
a watch he pulled out from his pocket, and 
offered to sell it to raise money to pay his 
rent, as he said. We asked him what he 
would take for it; he said he would take ten 
dollars for it, (being worth about fifteen dol- 
11 



\22 

lars,) it had no chain, key or seal to it. We 
asked him about them; he told us, he had them 
at home, and allowed to keep them. The 
carpenters allowed it was cheap at the price 
he offered it; I bid seven dollars for it, upon 
condition he would furnish the chain and key 
to it; he promised he would. I borrowed 
three dollars from the carpenters, and took 
the watch at the seven dollars. At dinner, I 
shewed my purchase to my boss, and told him 
the price I had bought it at. He said he was 
sure it was a stolen watch, as it was quite 
new, and wanted chain, key and seal. My 
boss asked me permission to have it, and shew 
it to a certain watchmaker in the city, whose 
shop had been robbed a short time before* 
He took the watch to the man who had been 
robbed. The man, he said it was his, as he 
had the number of the watch in a book kept 
for that purpose. He asked my boss after 
me; he told him where I was. The watch- 
maker and my boss came, and he asked me 
how I got the watch. I told him, and called 
upon the plasterer and the carpenters to vouch 
for me; which they did; he asked me, if I 
thought I would know the man I had bought 



123 

(he watch from, if I seen him. I told him, I 
was certain I could recognise him, if I could 
get sight of him. He said, if I would go along, 
he would pay me per day my usual wages- 
I told him, if my boss was agreed to it, I had 
no objections; my boss immediately consent- 
ed, and off we started. We walked about 
that afternoon, and all next day, and part of 
the third day, when I got my eye on him. I 
pointed him out to the watchmaker; he asked 
me if I was sure that he was the fellow. I 
told him I was. We were on the opposite side 
of the pavement, and to convince the watch- 
maker, I went across to the negro, and asked 
him for the chain and key; he reached in his 
pocket, and said he had not got it with him; 
upon which the watchmaker felt satisfied he 
was the bird; he seized him, and at the same 
time tore from his fob, a gold repeater, gold 
chain and seal; and the negro being too strong, 
tore away from him, and ran down street 
among a parcel of carters on the street, he 
hallooed "stop thief" The carters knocked 
him down, and we secured him, and carried 
him to the sheriff's office. Mr. John Hart 
was then the high sheriff of the city and coun- 



124 
ty of Philadelphia. The sheriff called him to 
an account how he came to the watches. He 
told Mr. Hart, he got them from a man up in 
Cambden. The sheriff enjoined on him to tell 
the truth, that nothing would happen him, 
provided the watchmaker got his watches 
again. After a little pause upon the subject, 
he said, he would tell the sheriff" the truth , that 
he had the watches in Southwick. The sheriff 
said, we must all go down there, and off we 
all started together for Southwick to get the 
watches. He led us up one street and down 
another; at length we came to an alley where 
the villain lived; at length we came to a house 
which he acknowledged to be his habitation. 
He enlered the house and we all followed 
him, and we went upstairs to the room which 
he occupied, and he pulled out a trunk from 
under the bed, wherein he had secreted his 
stolen treasure, consisting of watches and 
parts of watches, silver spoons, and sundry 
other articles of jewelry. The sheriff took 
his pocket handkerchief, spread it upon the 
floor, and began to put in the aforenamed ar- 
ticles, and while the sheriff was employed as 
I have related already, he, the thief made a 



125 

bolt at the window, forced it, and jumped out 
of the window, and in litlng upon the pave- 
ment below, the black villain broke liis leg by- 
jumping on the curbstone. The sheriff and 
watchmaker ran down to prevent him from 
escaping tlieir vigilance to bring him to pun- 
ishment, which he endeavored to avoid, no 
doubt that was the inducement for such a bold 
adventure to effect his escape. As soon as 
the sheriff seen how matters was with him, 
that his escape was impossible; he returned to 
his room, and laid all the jewelry in his hand- 
kerchief he could find, and stated that his leg 
was broke; upon which piece of intelligence, 
the woman we found in the room began to 
make a dreadful lamentation about him. The 
sheriff told her not to be alarmed, that she 
must go along-. The sheriff then began to 
search farther into the fellow's trunks which 
were in his room, and found some silks, 
shawls, shoes, &c. After we had every thing 
that savored of stolen goods, which those 
above-mentioned, no doubt were, the sheriff 
hired a cart, and hauled the black man and 
woman to the Mayor's office. A Mr. Wharton 
who filled that office at that time, examined 

11* 



126 
the prisoners, and committed them to jail for 
trial; while under examiniation, a surgeon was 
called upon, who bandaged his leg in the of- 
fice. I had to enter into recognizance for my 
appearance as a witness against him. When 
this was done, tlie sheriff hoisted them off to 
jail. In two or three weeks after, the court 
term commenced, and during its sitting their 
trial came on. He was tried, found guilty, 
was convicted, and sent to the penitentiary 
for five years. All the time I attended court, 
I was allowed my per diem as the witnesses 
are allowed, and the w'atchmaker he received 
his goods, and I got the watch I had bought 
from the black man, as a present from the 
watchmaker, and the farther sum of twenty 
dollars as a fee for my service, in detecting 
the robber and bringing him to proper punish- 
ment for his transgressions. This brings this 
matter to an end. I forgot to name, that the 
woman was sentenced to the same punishment, 
and for the same time that he was. 

My boss, he observed to me, when the 
whole job was ended, that I had made pretty 
well by my watch. 

My boss in this time got a raw Irishman to 



127 

carry the hod, something of a green lad; he 
had a half guinea, which we found out by 
way of a slope. We began to make contri- 
vances to draw him out on the field of honor? 
to get his half guinea laid as a wager. Ac- 
cordingly I made a proposition to John M'Clay, 
my fellow plasterer, that the Irishman could 
not carry a certain number of hods of mortar 
upstairs in half a day. M'Clay bet five dol- 
lars he could, which so tickled the Irishman's 
vanity, he went M' Clay's halves in the bet. 
M'Clay, he bought a pint of whiskey for his 
share, and I got two doses of jalap, and mixed 
the jalap and whiskey together, and M'Clay 
and the Irishman were very great cronies; he 
gave him the bottle of the mixture to strength- 
en him; he liked the stuff raw and otherwise; 
he took a hearty swig and began to work, and 
he worked with a great deal of spirit; the more 
he exercised, the more his dose was likely to 
prove burthensome. inconvenient, and unhandy 
to him, as he had not time to idle; nay, he 
€ven had not time to attend to the most press- 
ing calls of nature, and did not, which had 
been exceedingly heightened by artificial 
means, and his blood was raised, with a view 
io win the bet and achieve athletic honors; he 



128 
unheeded all the pressing calls; however, he 
at last had to yield, he became so much ex- 
hausted by labor and the operations of the 
medicines were so very active, that he gave 
fairly out, and I won the bet. The Irishman's 
half guinea we got it snug enough, which was 
exactly what we wanted. After that Irish- 
man's spree was over, our boss sent Jacob 
Smith and myself to whitewash the Spanish 
ambassador's house; a black woman of un- 
common size carried blackberries about for 
sale. I told Jacob Smith, if he would engage 
the black woman in a conversation, that I 
would pour a bucket full of the whitewash 
soup over the blackberries; he did as I 
requested, and when they were in full glee 
in their conversation, I let slip my white- 
wash souse upon her blackberries, and gave 
them a decent whitewash coat. The white- 
wash found its way through the berries 
aad basket, and finally upon the black 
girl, which made her inquire in this man- 
ner into the matter: Who the hell done 
that, meaning who had poured the white- 
wash over her; and by that time I had got 
down stairs, and 1 inquired of her, what 



129 

was the matter. She took the basket from 
her head, and she said that some rascal 
had bUnded her, for the hme got into her 
eyes. I told her that it was Hme, that some- 
body had pom'ed into her basket, and in 
commisseration for the poor wench, we 
took her to one of the hydrants and wash- 
ed her; but before we washed her, she put 
one in mind of striped molasses, white 
and black appeared alternate; at last, how- 
ever, we got the lime out of her eyes, and 
she was restored to her usual vision. I be- 
gan by pitying her, and told her, that it 
was a tarnel shame for any body to play 
such a trick upon her, and proposed to 
pay her in part for the berries. Some of 
the by-standers followed my example by 
giving her some little change, and we made 
up as much money as to pay her for her 
blackberries. She washed her blackber- 
ries at the hyrant, and gave Smith and 
myself about half a peck of them for the 
money raised for her, as a mark of respect 
and reciprocity for our kindness. 

I worked awaj^ and things went on 
smoothly in the usual way, until about the 



ISO 

latter end of the month of September. A 
gentleman from Valley Forge, in Chester 
county, Pennsylvania, came to Philadel- 
phia in quest of hands. He inquired of 
John M'Clay, if there was any chance to 
get hands in the city. John M'Clay gave 
him, the gentleman, a vague answer, with 
a view to elicit from him, what wag-es was 
going in Chester county, at that time. He 
replied, that he would give to a good hand 
seven dollars a week, find him in washing, 
boarding, &c. all the balance of that sea- 
son. John M'Clay invited him to call at 
the building the next morning, that he 
would inquire, and let him know if he 
could find out for him any hands. So ac- 
cording to appointment, the gentleman 
called the next day at the building, where 
we were at work. John M'Clay in the 
mean time observed to me, that there was 
a good chance for somebody. I told M'Clay 
that if he would pay me every week that I 
would go along with him. M'Clay said to 
me, that he supposed that he would pay, 
and observed, that my better plan would 
be to draw an article of agreement with 



131 

him, which would set forth our contract. 
In reply to M'Clay, I told him, that if the 
gentleman from Valley Forge would do 
that, I would go with him the next week. 
M'Clay in conclusion predicted, that I ne- 
ver would stay with him. I told him I 
would, if he gave me work for the fall sea- 
son, and keep me over winter. M'Clay 
then got off from the scaffold and went 
into another room to meet the gentleman 
from Valley Forge, and acquainted him, 
that there was a young man in the build- 
ing who was willing to go along with him, 
if he would observe the several requisites 
made by me. He inquired of M'Clay, if I 
was a steady young man. M'Clay said I 
was perfectly a sober man, all that ailed 
me was, that I was full of devilment; to 
which he said, that he did not mind that; 
he inquired if I was a good workman, to 
which M'Clay said for me, that I was a very 
good plain workman, and that he could 
show him some of my work in the building, 
which the gentleman examined, and said 
that he did not want any better work done 
than that. After he had examined my work 
and approved of it, he authorised M'Clay 



132 

to call me into the room where they were, 
and asked me how I should like to work in 
the conutry. 1 told him, I thought that I 
should like it very well, if I could get wages 
enough. He told me, that he would give 
me seven dollars a week, wet or dry, for 
all the fall season, as also in the spring, t 
next asked how about the boardinc: during: 
the winter; to which he replied, that if I 
would lathe one house, that he would not 
charge me boarding during the winter, j 
asked him how large that house was, to 
which he had reference. He replied, it 
contained about eight rooms; to which pro- 
position I assented. I then asked him, how 
the boarding was in that country; to which 
he replied, that it was first rate. My ob- 
ject in inquiring into that subject, may be 
easily guessed by the reader, as I thought 
that I might help out with some of the good 
things of this world, and found he had not 
exaggerated, when I came to test his 
country. I never hved better in my life, 
than in Chester county during my stay, 
which was about six months. We agreed 
to meet at the Black-horse tavern on that 



133 

evening-, to conclude our contract, and to 
ratify the same by an article of agreement. 
When I came home, I acquainted my boss 
of my intention of leaving" him, and going 
to Chester county for that fall and the fol- 
lowing spring. To which piece of infor- 
mation he observed, that I must know my 
business, and added, that he wished that 
he had known it sooner to have made his 
affairs meet the case, but did not throw 
any blame upon me, that it was all fair 
sailing for every body to do the best for 
themselves they could. Agreeably to ap- 
pointment, when evening came, I repaired 
to the Black-horse tavern to meet the gen- 
tleman from Chester county. When I came 
to the house he was there in waiting for 
me. We reduced our bargain to writing; 
after the contract was ratified and confirm- 
ed according to Hoyle, I told the man that 
I would be at the Valley Forge by the mid- 
dle of the following week; allowing myself 
a few days for a genteel blow out, by way 
of a city good-by. I had by this time just 
seventy dollars in money, and it was deem- 
ed by my companions, as well as myself, 
12 



134 

too much money for any journeyman to 
carry away from any place. We held a kind 
of jury over my purse, and the verdict was, 
that fifty dollars would be sufficient for any 
decent use for any body who was in the habit 
of daily earning money; accordingly twenty 
dollars was convict to sustain the cost, da- 
mages and charges of a spree, which my com- 
rades helped to sustain at my expense. We 
kept the pegs moving for two nights, and the 
way it wound up was just nobody's business. 

Early in the morning I took stage, as rail- 
roads was unfashionable at that time of day; it 
since, however, is deemed the top of the 
fashions; in them days for a fellow to be rode 
on a rail was not considered the tip of the 
TON by any means, as I myself heard, those 
luckless wights whose bad luck took them to 
the rack, say, that if it wasn't for the name 
of the thing, that they would prefer to walk. 
The driver of the stage cracked his whip over 
his horses, and away we went, leaving the 
city of Philadelphia behind us. When we 
came to Chester county, I stopped at Mr. 
Clark's tavern, near the Valley Forge. I in- 
quired of Mr. Clark, if he could tell me where 



135 

Mr. Ford the plasterer lived; he told me that 
he lived about two miles from there. Mr. 
Clark asked me, if I v^as acquainted with Mr. 
Ford. I told him I was not, and asked him 
if he was, to which inquiry he answered me, 
that he was. I then asked Mr. Clark what 
kind of a man Mr. Ford was. He in reply 
told me, that Mr. Ford was a very clever fel- 
low; a few friendly remarks expressed by 
Mr. Clark towards Mr. Ford, I told 
him my business, he then took the hint^ 
and said that Mr. Ford was there on Sun- 
day, looking out for a young man from 
the city, and Mr. Clark supposed that I 
was the man he was looking for. I replied to 
him, that I was the man who had engaged 
with Mr. Ford. 1 concluded to stay all night 
with Mr. Clark, being in part weary from the 
journey, and in part worried from our spree 
which we had put through, and after having 
made an arrangement with the hostler to go to 
Mr. Ford, to let him know that I had arrived, 
which office he performed in the evening, for 
which I paid him. I gave myself up for that 
night, and the cares of the world were lying 
dormant at my feet. In the morning, Mr. Ford 



136 

came to the tavern with his (tarry- all, as old 
Jesse Martin calls them,) to remove me and 
my baggage, and off we started, and in a lit- 
tle time we came to Mr. Ford's house. I told 
Mr. Ford that I would prefer not to commence 
work so late in the week, that I felt some- 
what fatigued from my spree and jaunt, that 
I would like to see a little of the ways of the 
world, &c.; all which he assented to in a mi- 
nute, and observed, that he had a job about 
five miles from there, we would go and see it; 
by this we got on horses and rode over to see 
the house and the country, and a little of the 
fashions in our way; we travelled along the 
Schuylkill in the direction of the Black Rock, 
a most delightful section of country. We rode 
about the country, and my particular object 
was to feel my bosses pulse, to see what kind 
of a lad he was. I proposed to him to go past 
the tavern and take a glass of ale, to which he 
agreed as soon as the proposition was made to 
him. We set our horses heads for the Bull- 
head tavern, kept by Mr. Clark, and when 
we came there, we began to touch upon the 
ale modestly, and I topered off on ale. Ale 
is, as you know, an Englishman's meat, drink, 



137 

washing, and lodgings, as the Irishman said to 
an Englishman. The Englishman said, that 
the ale of his country was so delicious, that it 
was his meat and his drink, and so they part- 
ed; in the evening the Irishman came along 
the same way, and found the Englishman lay- 
ing in a ditch, along a hedge-row. He look- 
ed at the Englishman and saw that the lad was 
tight on ale; he concluded, that it was not only 
his meat and drink, but his washing and lodg- 
ing too. When we had drank as much as we 
wanted, and more too; in the evenmg, we 
took horse and rode home to Mr. Ford's 
house; went in a reasonable time in the even- 
ing, retired to rest for that night, and the 
next day I got the loan of Mr. Ford's gan, 
and went gunning to get a little better ac- 
quainted with the Valley Forge settlement. 
The day after being the Sabbath, my boss 
gave me an invitation to go to meeting; being 
a dry kind of a gathering, which I had not 
got much in the habit of attending them, and 
I feel a pretty strong prediliction never to 
get myself much into that habit, being a kind 
of motley crew of all sects of Christians. We, 
however, made out to go; but, before I con- 
12* 



138 

sentcd to go, I inquired if the meeting-house 
lay in the vicinity of the Bull-head tavern. He 
told me it did not, and added that a great ma- 
ny fine girls would be there, and it would af- 
ford me an opportunity to become acquainted, 
as that was my wish. After the meeting was 
over, w^e went home, and I joined work on 
Monday morning, at a Mr. Pennypecker's 
house. My boss put me there for one w^eek, 
by myself, as I supposed to try me. I work- 
ed like a Turk, for I lathed and first coated 
seven rooms in that week. Mr. Pennypecker 
inquired of me, how long it would take me to 
lathe and first coat his house. I said, I sup- 
posed it would take me a week or two; at 
which piece of intelligence he seemed to be 
satisfied, by saying, if I could do it in two weeks 
it would afford him entire satisfaction, as he 
had to find the laborer; and when I had it 
lathed, I put on the first coat in two days. 
Mr. Pennypecker to explain himself to me, 
the reasons why he made those inquiries of 
me was, that he was going to the city. I 
told him that I was glad that he mentioned his 
intended journey to the city, that my intentions 
were to first coat his house all, except one 



139 

room, by Saturday night, and that he would 
have to hire another laborer; to which he said 
it was impossible, that I could not do that. 
I told him, I thought I could; to which he ac- 
quiesced and said, that I knew best, and said 
he would get me another hand, if I could keep 
them at work; to which I told him, I would 
insure that part of the performance; he ac- 
cordingly hired another hand, and then he 
started for the city; and after I began to plas- 
ter, the second day at noon one of my tenders 
gave out, and he swore that he would not 
work at that kind of work, and at that gait for 
five dollars a day. I went to Madam Penny- 
pecker, and informed her of the facts, that one 
of the hands had given out, and that I must 
have another, or the work would be entirely 
stopped. She said she would go down to the 
mill, and see if the miller would give his hand 
which he had in the mill, until Mr. Penny- 
pecker would come home. The miller con- 
sented that his hand should go to supply the 
place of the one who had yielded up the 
ghost. When he came, he said, he would be 
damned if he wasn't just the lad, that could 
keep me a going, if the other one could tern- 



140 

per it fast enough for me. I told him, that 
he was the very lad I wanted. The build- 
ing was a stone-house, and the way I slung the 
mortar against the wall was a caution; some 
times I would have a hod full thrown against 
the wall before my man got down stairs, and 
I kept him under whip and spur until Saturday 
at noon, when he also gave out, and fully con- 
vinced that he had barked up the wrong tree; 
when he bragged of his being all sorts of a 
man, and when he was gone, Dick, he swore 
that me and the house might all go to the devil, 
for all he cared for us, by way of a decent 
offset. I by this time had all first coated the 
whole house, except one room. My pro- 
gress in my profession had astonished the 
folks in the neighborhood; as I was deter- 
mined to give myself a reputation amongst 
them, a good many folks to called to see the 
wonders, and among the rest was an old cod- 
ger, who, when he learned that the second 
hand had given out, and but one room to finish, 
he volunteered his service to finish the last 
room, and to keep me a going. I told him, if 
he would keep me a going for that room, that 
I would give him a dollar; and if he did not 



141 

keep me going, that I would give him no pay; 
our bargain was struck, and we went to work. 
The old fellow was a sucker, I gave him a 
good dram, and suffered him to keep the 
board full, as long as I worked at the ceiling; 
the old fellow began to feel himself a man, 
when he found he could keep the board full of 
mortar while I was at the ceiling; and said, 
that he had before now carried the hod for 
masons, and that he could always keep two 
a going, and then he began by taking a wider 
range in conversation, observing, that some 
men did not know what hard work was, that 
he understood all these little notions to a T. 
I kept him in conversation and work too, until 
I took the scaffolding down, for fear he would 
give out too soon, and I then could not accom- 
plish my design. When I had the scaffolds 
removed, I began on my old lad; by this 
time the miller, he came from the mill to the 
house, and says to him; well, John, how do 
you come on. Oh, my God, said he, I never 
seen the man yet, that he could not keep a 
going. The miller observed to me, that I 
would loose my dollar. I told him, I thought 
so, for this man, said I, works like a horse. 
I told the miller to wait awhile till I would 



142 

shew him how he could keep me a going; the 
miller said he would. He brought another 
hod full of mortar in, and I had that daubbed 
against the wall before my old lad was clearly 
out of the room. He brought me two or three 
hods full of mortar after that, some of which 
I had laid on the walls before he had his hod 
cleaned. He made a remark, that I was al- 
tering my gait. I told him, yes, I had altered 
it a little; and he took the hint, and made eve- 
ry exertion in his power to keep me a going, 
to verify his declarations as to his capability 
to keep one man in employ at any gait. He 
still found it necessary to increase his exer- 
tions, as was demonstrated to him, beyond 
the possibility of a doubt, for what his eyes 
saw, his heart was bound to believe; and he 
came in a very great hurry, and in the act of 
stepping into the entry, his toe struck the sill 
of the door, and down went my John, hod 
and mortar, and broke the hod into splinters, 
and his neck nearly into the bargain, splash 
upon the entry floor. The miller he pro- 
nounced the sentence on my John, that he had 
fairly lost the dollar, to which he replied, he did 
not care, that he was determined to carry the 



143 

hod no longer for any man; and concluded 
his speech by saying, that I worked like a 
damn fool. 1 made out, to put my job to an 
end about five o'clock in the afternoon on Sa- 
turday, as I did not like to leave it, until I had 
entirely finished it, as a small degree of pride 
pervaded my breast in the rapid progress of 
my work. I was thought in the neighborhood 
of Valley Forge, to be a jam hand at my busi- 
ness, and I labored hard to get up that opinion 
in my favor, as it was a theme on which my 
self-pride owed its whole existence. On that 
evening, Mr. Pennypecker returned from the 
city, a few hours after I had finished my job. 
He asked me, how I came on. I told him, 
that I had done all, excepting one room. He 
said, that cannot he possible, that I could have 
done it in so short a time. I told him that it 
was a fact, upon which he went into the house 
to see, and to his astonishment his incredulity 
dissipated before him, as I had asserted only 
what he had actually beheld with his own 
eyes. He, in continuation of his surprise, 
asked me, if all hands worked with such ex- 
traordinary speed in the city — to which I re- 
plied^ that they did not, only some of them. 



144 

He asked me to tell him honestly, how long 
it would take me to finish his house, as near 
as I could guess at it, by myself. I told him, 
that I thought that I could finish it in ten days, 
out and out, as the saying is; to which he 
brought Mr. Ford's opinion in contact with 
mine; as he, Mr. Ford told him, it would take 
eight weeks to finish it. I asked him, how 
much he was to pay Mr. Ford for doing of his 
house. He said, that he was to pay him 
eighty-five dollars for it, and allowed that it 
was too much for doing it, if I could finish 
it in the time I had said I could finish it; to 
which I replied, that I would be very sorry to 
work eight weeks for eighty-five dollars; up- 
on which he asked me what wages I got; I 
told him I got seven dollars per week; to 
which he allowed, that I was very foolish to 
work at that price, seeing that I could work 
as I had done at his house, all which was 
done by way of a slant to become acquaint- 
ed, and to establish a reputation. In answer 
to his remarks, I told him that I worked jour- 
ney work; he then wanted to know what I 
done with my money. I told him jocularly, 
that I generally spent it in any way it suited 
me; then he had learned a secret, and said^ he 



145 

believed thai the mechanics in the city were 
generally in the habit of spending their mo- 
ney, nearly or quite as fast as they earned 
it. I told him, yes, indeed, and some had 
a knack to spend it even faster than they 
earned it. He then said, he hoped that I 
would not leave Mr. Ford until his house 
was finished. I assured him, that I would 
stay with Mr. Ford all the fall, as I expect- 
ed, and during the winter too, added he, if 
you can leave the city that long; to which 
I coolly observed, that I would do that and 
not distress myself in the least about it. 
] On Tuesday evening I finished the eighth 
room, which finished the whole house of 
first coat; after I had done with Mr. Penny- 
pecker's job, I went home to Mr. Ford'sj 
my boss; when I came home. Madam Ford 
inquired of me, what was the matter; I 
told her that nottiing was the matter, that 
I was done, and had first coated my job, 
Mrs. Ford said, that Mr. Ford told her, that 
it would take me three weeks to finish my 
jjob, which I perceived from her inquiry of 
me when I came home, as my appearance 
quite surprised her, as I perceived. I ask- 

13 



146 

ed her if the boss was at home; she said, he 
was not, that he was about ten miles from 
home. I told her, that I was out of work, 
and what to do for another job we did not 
know. I adroitly observed to her, that it 
iall went in my week's work; however, on 
Friday Mr. Ford came home; asked me, 
how I came on at Mr. Pennypecker's. I 
told him I was done with the lathing and 
first coating of that job; to which he ob- 
served, that if I worked at that rate, his jobs 
' he had on hand would not last him till the 
cold weather. I said all the better for that; 
I asked him where and at what I should 
work at to-morrow; he said no where, 
since I had got done with that job so quick. 
My bb?s took his horse the next day and 
rode over to take a look at it; when he 
came back, I asked him if my work would 
do; he said, yes, very well, and he paid 
me fourteen dollars the number of days I 
then had been with him, amongst which I 
had worked eicrht. 

On Monday morning after, he took me 
to a widow lady, by name Madam Taylor, 
to lathe and plaster two rooms for her, for 



147 

the purpose of keeping a store in them, it 
was a log-house. He asked me how long*, 
it would take me to do that job. I told 
him I thought I could do it in about five 
days. Mr. Ford allowed it would do very- 
well if I would finish it in a week, that 
perhaps that the rest of the jobs might not 
be ready. I began work, and began to be- 
come acquainted with the widow, and put 
over that week quite agreeably to myself, 
finished her house, which afforded her en- 
tire satisfaction, praised my dexterity as a 
mechanic, and observed that I worked- 
very smart according to her notion of 
things; and on Saturday noon I took leave 
of absence and repaired to my boss to our 
general place of rendezvous, as I h?id oc- 
casion to bring into notice the house of 
Mrs. Taylor; justice demands that I should 
let the reader know, that she was a lady of 
unquestionable character, and as such 
maintained that dignity of character a- 
mongst her neighbors. I spent the Sab- 
bath as usual, and at the tavern of Mr. 
Clark drank a few glasses of his ale, and 
in the evening I repaired to my home, and 



148 

on Monday morning my boss he put me at 
a job at a certain old quaker who resided 
near the Black Rock. The Black Rock is 
a place of some notoriety in that neighbor- 
hood; it projects about one half" over the 
Schuylkill, is a soft kind of stone, similar 
to the Jefferson Rock at Harper's Ferry^ 
Virginia, and visitors are in the habit of 
carving their names on it as a memorial of 
their visit to that place, and is the greatest 
curiosity in that part of Chester county. 
Well, then, I began at my work at my old 
quaker, and put over with him one week 
quite agreeably, and by way of a slope, I also 
formed an' intimacy with one of his daugh- 
ters, who in some degree filled my eye? 
being young and a little inclined to feel as 
young folks do about those matters, and 
the old man chimed in with our mutual 
views on the subject; for his part he per- 
mitted his daughter and myself to take the 
horses and ride out among their neighbors 
when we pleased, which opportunity we 
on several occasions embraced, and in the 
fullness of her kindness towards me, she 
betrayed herself and developed in her cha- 



149 

raciei a weakness which is utterly ansuf- 
ferable in the female; she was a Httle fond 
of the drops, which she out of kindness to- 
wards me let me have shared, and yet 
thought to hide under the cloak, by say- 
ing it was her brother's, and by the by that 
kind of apology would have done to tell 
marines, but the sailors would not beUeve 

it. 

Mrs. Taylor, on my way home to my 
boss, gave me to .understand, that I was 
the lover, so she had learned from my lit- 
tle quaker girl and the: beloved, and gave 
. me to understand, that she . labored under 
an infirmity of which she thought to ap- 
piize me, and ended by saying, that if I 
would be quaker, that 1 would get a for- 
tune by marrying her; to which I replied, 
,that i was a quaker long ago. After leav- 
ing Mrs. Taylor's store, I put out for my 
bosses house. 

On the Monday morning following, I 
went to Mr. Pennypecker's to finish his 
house; just as I was finishing the house, I 
informed him, that he ought to have a cen- 
tre piece in his entry for an ornament; he 
being quite lost at the suggestion of mine? 

1 51* 



150 

as the man had not the least idea in the 
world how they were made, nor even how 
they looked, as he had never seen one in 
his life. I asked him, if he had never been 
in any gentleman's house in the city, and 
if he had ever taken notice where the lamps 
hung; he said, yes, but he thought that 
they were made of wood; of which I told 
him that they were not, and that I could 
make them out of plaster of paris. He 
then asked me what I would charge to 
make one. I told him, that if he would 
have one made, being it was the first one 
made in that part of the country, I would 
make it for five dollars, the usual price in 
the city was from eight to ten dollars for 
making them. He asked me how much 
plaster of paris it would take; I told him 
that about half a bushel would make it, and 
how long it would take me to make it^ 
some would take two and three days, but 
promised him to make his in a day or two; 
after he had the whole theory of the centre 
piece business fairly demonstrated, he told 
me to make one for him; in the night I be- 
gan my hocus-pocus in boiling the plaster? 



151 

and in the morning Mr. Pennypecker start- 
ed ofl* for Westchester, the seat uf justice for 
Chester count}, I began my centre piece 
after dinner, and in the absence of mine 
host, and hnished it in the space of two 
hours. Next morning he came home, I 
stood at the mortar-box; he asked me if I 
had began my centre-pieoe; to his interro- 
gation I replied, that it was up already. 
What, made too, said he, quite surprised 
and amazed at my declaration; yes, said I, 
finished out and out. He went in to take a 
look at it, and sure enough it was there; 
he asked me how I had put it up, and whe- 
ther it was nailed fast; I told him it was 
not nailed, that it was nothing but the plas- 
ter fastened, and by way of a brag, told 
him, I would give any body five dollars to 
pull it down; to all that, he listened with 
an attentive ear, and expressed a desire to 
see the operation; finding that his curiosity 
.was excited, I told him, to heighten it still 
farther, that I did not show those things to 
every body. Mr. Pennypecker paid me the 
five dollars, my boss paid me seven, and 
them two sums added, made my week's 



152 

earnings twelve dollars, and in the space of 
fourteen days his house was just finished to his 
hand, where my boss calculated on an eight 
week's job of it. After he had paid me, he 
allowed that if I had and could earn money 
.as I did with him, that I would soon have a 
house of my own; to which I replied quite 
gravely, yes; I lay all my money out in houses, 
and he took it for granted that I was expend- 
ing my money in the purchase of houses, and 
oh, he labored under a sad mistake, although 
I laid out my money at that time in houses, his 
ideas never carried him so far as to think that 
the houses in which I laid out my money were 
ornamented with a sign and sign-post, those 
were the houses I alluded to, and he took it 
for granted that I meant buying houses — -He 
allowed that I was making good use of my 
money, and I entertained the contrary opinion. 
The following week I went to my friend Mrs. 
Taylor, to finish that job of her's, being a 
place so much like, O 'twas love, 'twas love, 
I nursed the job a little, for I made out to 
stretch it seven days before I got done with 
it. Within those seven days my little quaker 
girl came there with some marketjpg, know- 



153 

ing that I was there, Mrs. Taylor prevailed 
on her to stay and take tea with her, and on 
my account she consented, knowing that after 
tea we would necessarily or rather compli- 
mentary be thrown in each others company, 
which by the by was a little finese on the part 
of Mrs. Taylor, and in the esteem of my lit- 
tle quaker girl was deenned a courtesy, and 
when tea was over, I gallanted my little quak- 
er girl over the beautiful lawns along the 
Schuylkill to the Black Rock mansion, staid 
all night, and in the morning I returned to 
Mrs. Taylor's, she quizzingly asked me how 
I had spent the last night. I told her quite 
agreeably. She then allowed from my man- 
ner, as she had drawn her inferences from my 
answer, that I would as she supposed remain 
in Chester county for a long time; to that quiz 
I began to anticipate her manouvres. I repli- 
ed, I did not know how that would go as yet. 
She said, she supposed that when 1 would be 
done with her house, that I would go back to 
finish the house of my little quaker girl's fa- 
ther's. I said I did not know how that would 
be, that depended altogether on my boss, if 
he would direct me to do it, of course I would 



154 

do so; I continued the conversation, by ex- 
pressing my wishes that I should like to have 
the doing of that job myself; she said she sup- 
posed that if the right one was there, I did 
not care how long it would take me to finish 
it, but manifested a share of fear that the right 
one had been left in the city; that epistle of 
her's brought me to the rack, fodder or no 
fodder thinks I, this is a pretty spot of work, 
and said that I had left the city free as air, and 
had came into the country to seek amongst 
the fair a partner for myself; our confab, as 
to these little matters, of which we were both 
candidates in the field in a matrimonial point 
of view, was brought to a close, and in the 
end of the week I also ended my job and bid 
Madam good bye, and made tracks for my 
bosses house. ' 

The following week my boss took me ten 
miles in a different direction from the one I 
had in my mind's eye, to a small job, we did 
not quite finish that week, but at the end of 
the week I was sent home to finish the job 
near Black Rock for my old quaker; and on 
Monday, on my way to my old friend the 
quaker, I called a halt at Mrs. Taylor to see 



155 

how the work stood, and how she came otij 
she, after the ceremony of hands shaking, and 
how-do-ye-do was over, she asked me if I 
was on the road to the old place, as she called 
it. I said, yes. She next inquired if I had a 
mind to finish the job myself, which question 
was also affirmed; she allowed that I was cun- 
ning enough; after which I went on to my 
good old quaker, and began work after a 
friendly greeting with all hands. He asked 
me if Mr. Ford intended to come to help along 
with the job. I told him not, that he had gone 
up the country to work. He said he was very 
glad of that, that he had learned that I was 
able to keep one hand a going myself, and 
that he had but one hand to spare. I worked 
on that week, and the next week his sons got 
an invitation to a corn-husking frolic, and they 
asked me to go along. I told the lads I did 
not know what that was, as I never had seen 
a thing of the kind in my life; I however con- 
sented to go to the husking frolic, to get an 
idea what it was; so when evening came, the 
boys, myself, and my little girl, we all start- 
ed off together to the place where the husking 
frolic was, and all the corn I husked that night 
two men could easily eat at one meal; first I 



156 

did not intend to hurt my fingers husking corn, 
where I had such delightful notions as country 
girls to romp and sport with, but at the sup- 
per table I guess I counted myself a full hand, 
and about midnight we all returned home to 
the Black Rock mansion, and I went on with 
my work until the end of my job, and among 
other things seen in the little girl that I ac- 
knowledged as mistress of my heart, a fault 
which she had concealed from me of such a 
character, that I thought so important an item 
in the account, that gave me the bats and I 
bolted. When I had finished my job at Black 
Rock I went to my boss, staid with him that 
winter, which by the by was a dismal one, 
I got tired of Chester county, settled accounts 
with my boss, and squared off my little bills, 
and put out for Lancaster county, lying west 
of Chester county, working myself into the 
interior of the country. When I came to the 
city of Lancaster, I called a halt at a house 
kept by Mr. Daniel Whitmer, sign of the 
Lamb. The reader may suppose that two 
lambs met, one inside of the house and the 
other on the sign; but let me inform all those 
whose suppositions may lead them to think 



157 

so, that they are in the suds, although that 
of peace was exhibited on the sign, that I was 
not exactly as innocent as lambs are taken to 
be, and took boarding and lodging with Mr. 
Whitmer for one week. I inquired of him for 
a master plasterer in the city. He said he 
knew one, and told me that Mr. Hash was a 
boss at the business, and supposed I could get 
work with him. Mr. Whitmer gave me di- 
rection, how and where to find Mr. Hash. I 
went and found Mr. Hash, and engaged a job 
of work with him; the first job I worked at 
was what they called the New Bank at that 
time. I asked Mr. Hash what he w^ould be 
willing to give me per day, after I had shew- 
ed him a sample of my work. He told me 
that he was giving his hands one dollar per 
day and find them their board, &c., or one 
dollar and twenty-five cents and they find their 
own board. I told him that I would not work 
for these wages. He said, that what he had 
said, was the highest wages he had been giv. 
ing, and then asked me what did I ask as a 
fair compensation for my labor. I told him 
that I would not work for less than one 
dollar and fifty cents per day. He said that 
one dollar and fifty cents was more wages than 
14 



158 

he had ever given in his life to any journey- 
man, but allowed, that if I worked as I had 
commenced, and paid him two dollars for 
boarding per week, that he would give the 
w^ages I had asked him; to which surmise, I 
told him he w^as at liberty to discharge me 
any day he chosed. So according to Gunter, 
we struck, and I u^orked for him three months, 
in that time he sent me to the house of widow 
H. to plaster it. I w^ent to work, and on the 
third day that I worked at her house, I found 
out my old lady, she got right genteely boozy; 
she became so extremely polite, that the old 
lady began to be a kind of lathe bander to 
me, and bothered me so much with her kind- 
ness, that I could not work a bit for her, and 
she seated herself on the scaffold, complain- 
ed very much of sick headache; I persuaded 
her to take bed, and between the maid and 
myself w^e got her into bed, and when she 
was fairly stowed away, I went to work 
again; this gave a kind of introduction be- 
tween the maid and myself; and a familiarity 
necessarily followed in its train between the 
maid and myself, in discussing the old ladies' 
infirmities. 



159 

I went home, and told my boss that I could 
not do the work I intended to do, on account 
of the old lady bothering me while she was 
in a spree; he knew what kind of a bird she 
was; he told me not to mind her, but to go on 
with my work; accordingly to his instruction 
I went on with my work, and the next night 
I staid with the maid, this is what folks in 
Lancaster called seeing the girls. The day 
after, the old lady gave the maid a hell of 
a lecture for sitting up with me. T overheard 
them, and in their confab, the maid said to 
the widow, that if she was not permitted to 
keep whose company she pleased as long as 
she behaved herself decently, that she would 
leave her house. I called the girl, and offer- 
ed to her, that before she should leave the 
house on my account, that I would leave it. 
Just as I was going to dinner, I got in con- 
tact with widow H. I told her, I would leave 
the job, that I did not wish to have any 
quarreling about her house on my account. 
She was a little how come you so; after a 
few words had passed between her and my- 
self, she to prevent my abandoning the job, 
at her command and to make her word ortho- 
dox as well as the law, she took up my trow 



160 
el, hawk and brush, and they being full of 
mortar, she took them and locked the whole 
of them up in her bureau among her fineries. 
I went to dinner, and w^hile there, I told my 
boss that I would not work there, at least for 
that afternoon, until the old lady should get 
better. The next day I went to widow H's 
house and fell to work again, and the old lady 
and myself made good friends, and 1 finished 
the job without the let, hindrance and moles- 
tation of the old lady; in this time, a gentle- 
man of the name of Croutt, a resident of Co* 
lumbia, a town lying on the banks of the 
Susquehanna, in Lancaster county, and of such 
notoriety that I deem a description of the 
place unnecessary, as every reader is well ac- 
quainted with it. I settled with my boss, and 
had just fifty dollars in ready money, and after 
I had all my matters fixed, I left Lancaster 
and started oft' for Columbia. After I had 
came to Columbia, I agreed with Mr. Croutt 
to work for him at twenty-five dollars per 
month and found in all, for the whole of the 
season; in this time, he, Mr. Croutt, put me 
at a job in the town of Letitz, placed myself 1 
and another journeyman to board at a widow ^ 
woman's house; she, good soul fed us on buck- 



161 

wheat cakes for breakfast and supper every 
day, until we were worried out with her 
buckwheat cakes, and we fell upon a plan to 
have our dish changed, in the mean time our 
force was enlarged by the addition of two 
carpenters; they asked me to devise a plan to 
effect a change of diet. I told them that if 
they would buy three or four doses of jalap, 
that I would mix it in her batter-pot; and to 
effect my purpose, I had to wait a suitable 
opportunity, w^hich opportunity presented it- 
self the next evening, for all hands in the 
house had an invitation to an apple butter 
boiling, and I mixed the jalap and batter to- 
gether in the bustle going to the frolic; the 
hands about the house all went to the frolic, 
and frolicked all night, and took bed at near 
day break, and slept late the next morning, 
until we were called to breakfast. At the table 
a general complaining match was heard among 
the hands, some had violent headache, some 
had other ailments, and none of us touched a 
bite of breakfast, save the old lady and her 
daughter, wbo eat a hearty breakfast of the 
buckwheat cakes and jalap mixed; after a few 
hours the jalap as is usual in ordinary cases was 
14* 



162 
determined to ftnd its way out, and put the 
female part of our family into a terrible 
fright, as it gave them a pretty fair scrape 
to get out of, they conceited that they had 
symptoms of aggravated cases of flax, 
pronounced themselves unable to cook 
dhmer for us; they made out to provide a 
cold check for us, as a substitute for din- 
ner. We began by setting up an inquiry 
into the probable causes of our old lady 
and her daughter being so violently and so 
suddenly attacked; and we all agreed that 
it was the buckwheat. I confirmed the 
opinion to be well founded, by asserting 
that 1 felt unwell for near a week gone by; 
the rest of the hands chymed in and com- 
plained in the same way that I did, and 
charged the whole account of flux and flux 
symptoms to the buckwheat bag, and by 
one unanimous consent of all the hands? 
widow and daughter included, rendered a 
judgment against it, and after judgment 
condemnation, nay, even abolition was en- 
forced, and by these means we got a 
change of diet, although the means used 
had produced momentary flux. We worked 
away, at length we finished our job, it be- 



163 

ing a middling" large one, and when we 
were done our boss removed us to within 
a mile of Latitz, at a tavern stand. The 
landlord had a very large baboon chained 
to the sign post; after working awhile, we 
run out of nails; the landlord had occasion, 
to jro to Lancaster for nails. I told the 
lads that in the absence of the landlord, we 
would have some sport with the baboon, 
who was chained as I have already said to 
the sign- post, we threw pieces of apples 
to him to make him fee] his keeping, and 
after we had given him enough of apples, 
as we thought, I concluded to change his 
diet, I let him have a slash of lime from 
my brush bip into his eyes, v/hich burnt 
the poor devil equal to fire, it made him 
raving; he in his fit of rage laid his paws 
to his chain and tore the staple out of the 
sign-post, which was driven in about two 
inches, and in his fit he danced about like 
though he were mad, and they shut the 
doors upon him, and he jumped through 
the window attacked the landlady and tore 
nearly ail the clothing off her back, and 
then he left the landlady and made an at- 



164 

tack upon the maid, and such a rumpuss 
and screaming- as ensued in that house 
among the women on one part, and the ba- 
boon on the other part, was never been 
witnessed any where between Dan and 
Beersheba; the only way we had to con- 
quer the baboon was, the laborer he ecave 
him three or four knock-down Ucks with 
his hod, and we gave him the wliite-wash 
pretty free into his eyes and moutli, which 
at length put him so busy rubbing his eyes 
that we caught him, and tied a rope round 
the middle and then to the sign-post, until 
the landlord came back. The way the ba- 
boon kept us moving while he had the free 
use of his limbs was the right way, no 
time was allowed for chat. As soon as the 
landlord came home, the landlady related 
the baboon's performance to him, allow- 
ing that he was mad, and from his appear- 
ance any one who did not know the fact 
of the lime being thrown into his eyes and 
mouth, would unhesitatingly have arrived 
at the same conclusion that the landlady 
did, that he labored under hydrophobia, 
for he foamed at his mouth, as all animals 



165 

do, laboring under canine madness. The 
landlord got sweet oil and anointed his 
mouth and eyes, allowing that he labored 
under great fever, which by the by was the 
case, produced from the lime, he chained 
the old lellow to the sign- post again, and 
as long as we were there he manifested his 
displeasure at us, whenever he had a 
chance. 

When we had finished that job, our boss 
put us to work at a job at the house of a 
Mr. Hartzell, in the neighborhood of Co- 
lumbia. and Marietta, after working there 
three or four days at Mr. H?rtzell's we be- 
gan to be somewhat acquainted with the 
old man, who by the by was a pretty hu- 
morsome sort of a jockey, and learning 
that I had a vein of fun in me, we soon 
found one another out, and verified the 
old adage, "that birds of a feather will flock 
together." He had a fine orchard and 
plenty of fine apples, which we ate just 
when we pleased, and had frequent con- 
versation about it, being such fine fruit? 
he was aware of it, and as often as we 
spoke of his apples, he would regret that 



1G6 

he had no pears to share with us. He ob- 
served, that he had a neighbor about a 
half a mile from his habitation, who had 
very fine pears, but would not share thein 
with any body. I told him by way of a 
slant, that if I knew where he lived that 
I would not ask him to share them with 
me, that I would find a way to get them 
without his consent. He said, that if I 
would do that, he would give us a treat of 
good old whiskey for one week, as much 
as we could drink, by way of prize, for the 
performance of which offer of his, I closed 
the bargain with Mr. Hartzell, who observ 
ed, that attempts of the kind had often been 
made, and every assailant had been beaten 
out and driven back. 1 told him, that on 
Sunday following we would take a walk 
past his neighbor to reconnoitre the ene- 
my's camp, and learn how the land lay, so 
I was determined to show the old lad a 
trick or two of my own contrivance; so 
then we took our Sunday walk and spied 
how the pear trees were planted, and how 
things looked any how. After I had seen 
the local situation of the spot on which I 
was to display my talents, I felt satisfied 



167 

that I could attain my object in getting the 
pears. I called for a drink of water at Mr. 
J's; he gave me a driak of water, and be- 
gan to inquire of me, if I was a traveller- 
I told him not, that I was going to Mariet- 
ta. I asked him to direct me the nearest 
road to that place; he shewed me through 
his lane as the nearest way, about halfway 
down his lane I saw six head of horses in 
his field, among them were two colts; I 
said to my comrades, my lads here is the 
trap for tlie pears, '^ne of them asked me 
how, and where is it, to which I said, do 
you see them horses over in yonder field 
to which they replied, yes; I told them the 
plan, which they assented in a minute af- 
ter I had ^explained it to them, would do. 
We then went home, and old Mr. Hartzell 
asked us if we got any pears at Mr. J's. I 
said, no indeed, we never asked for any 
to prevent him from forming a suspicion, 
then he began to quiz me, if I thought that 
I could get them, as the pear trees stood 
on each side of the gate in the front yard 
before the house; I told him, yes, that I had 
the trap set for them. I then told him that 
I would go for them on Monday night 



168 
which was the day after, so on Monday 
evening 1 told Mr. Hartzell tiiat he must 
lend me three bases. He did not Hke to do 
that, for fear we would be chased and leave 
the bags lay, and they would lead to a dis- 
covery, which he would not like if a bag 
should be left, and a discovery be made. 
I authorised him to say, that if a discovery 
should be made, I had stolen his bags 
away unknown to him, upon which condi- 
tion he let me have the bags. My comrade 
and n\yself had a coffee bag in which we 
commonly carried our tools — we took it 
along, knowing that if the matter should 
go as it would, it would never leak out 
through our coffee bag, and on it I stayed 
my sole dependance to carry my designs 
into execution in stealing Mr. J's pears. 
After supper we started, Mr. Hartzell cau- 
tioned us to take care of ourselves, thatMr. 
J's dogs was very dangerous. I told him 
to make himself easy on that score, that 
there was no danger to be apprehended in 
that quarter. We went into the field where 
the horses were, and to give the reader an 
idea of the plan fixed to carry the pear 



169 

stealing into execution, was in the follow- 
insr manner: We drove the horses down 
the field to the lowermost corner thereof, 
and we caught one of the colts and put 
our coffee bag over the colt's head and tied 
it round his neck; the dog began to bark 
at the house, some of our lads began to 
evince symptoms of cowardice, and per- 
haps would have fled, had I not given them 
the assurance that the dog would run after 
the horses, and not after us; and we had 
not much time to spare, as it is well known 
that there is no stop in a horse race; we 
started the horses, and they all took fright 
at the bag horse, and run as hard as old 
Nick could drive them through the field 
snorting and prancing, and the bag horse 
tried to follow them, and so it went round 
after round in the field one trying to over- 
take the other, the rest running to get out 
of his way; the dog he pursued the horses 
as hard as he could link, still flying, still 
pursuing, ever and anon, which brought 
Mr. J. into the field to see what the devil 
was the matter among the horses. He dis_ 
covered that somethmg was not right, but 
what it was he could not tell, and he nor 
15 



no 

twenty men could not then have stopped 
the horses from rannmg", for the bag horse 
he always brought up the rear, and made 
the rest run Uke devils. He called to Mrs- 
J., she came into the field, and the daugh- 
ter too, and lastly, the servant boy; after 
they were all in the field, and wondering 
as Mrs. J. did in Dutch, "was der divel fehlt 
do'' — We put out through the cornfield for 
the pear trees, shook off every pear on 
both trees, gathered them all into our bags, 
which took us about half an hour, and we 
had what we wanted, we listened to the 
fun, and while we were listening, the horses 
jumped into the cornfield, and the bag 
horse after them, and the way they tore 
about the corn was a sin; we in the mean 
time put out home to Mr. HartzelPs with 
our pears, leaving Mr. J. to enjoy his won- 
der, and that continued till near day-lightj 
there was no stop in the horses, as long as 
the colt that had the bag tied over his head 
ioUowed them, and the dog he liked the 
sport, he kept up the fun as long as it last- 
ed, at length the colt lost Mr. J's horses^ 
and he jumped the fence into one of his 
neighbor's fields and scared the neighbor's 



171 

horses, they started off and broke the fence 
and run home as hard as they could stave, 
and run into the barn-yard, and the colt that 
was blind-folded with our coffee bag, got Into 
the barn-yard among the horses, they began 
to kick the colt, which alarmed Mr. J's neigh- 
bor, and they got up and relieved the poor 
brute, and so ended that spree. 

It was about one o'clock in the night when 
we came to Mr. Hartzell's, we found them 
all in bed and fast asleep; we hid our pears in 
the cellar in the new building in a pile of shav- 
ings, in the morning when Mr. Hartzell got 
up, he came to the building where we were 
at work, and asked us what luck; we told 
him we had all the pears that Mr. J. had to 
spare, which piece of intelligence he could 
not believe until I went and shewed them to 
him. He asked me how the deuce I had ma- 
naged to get them. I told him my plan, he 
was very much pleased and highly gratified at 
my success, and allowed it was worth a bar- 
rel of whiskey. I told him a half barrel of 
whiskey would do us — and Mr. Hartzell came 
up to his promise, for he gave us as much old 
rye whiskey as we chose to drink as long as 
we were there. 



172 

The next morning, Mr. J. come to Mr. 
TIartzelPs and laid in a grievous complaint, 
first, that his pears had been all stolen, and 
told him the manner in which it had been ef- 
fected; how his horses had acted, and how his 
colt had been blindfolded with a coffee bag", 
and that the colt was nearly killed; he brought 
the bag along to shew it, and try to find out a 
clue on the trick by a recognition of the bag. 
But nobody knew the coffee bag, and his in- 
quiry failed. We all went along over to Mr. 
J. to see the destruction, and indeed it was 
wonderful, the horses had nearly run them- 
selves to death, and the colt was skinned and 
nearly flayed by running against fences, posts, 
and the kicks it got among the horses at his 
neighbor's. Mr. J. had the grief to endure, 
and w^ had the pears to eat, and enjoyed our- 
selves most elegantly at the raps he got. 

The next spree that I had, was one of some- 
what more profit to myself than the horse race 
which we had instituted at Mr. J's without 
his consent, and it happened to turn out to be 
this: My boss placed us at work in the town 
of Columbia, he had taken two houses to 
plaster in that town, and he got boarding for 



i73 

his hands at the house of Mr. C. inn-keepei*^ 
in said town. * I worked for about the space of 
three week's time, I began to find out what 
kind of a lad Mr. C. was; David Psalm's like, 
he was one pretty near like myself in every 
respect, for he was as fond of sport as any 
body, with one exception, he was fond of the 
hardware, and I was not, although I never 
poured it into my shoes, neither when it was 
agoing, although I never was so fond of it as 
Mr. C. was. 

On Sunday evening, Mr. C. was caught in 
one of his sprees, he and myself went to a 
Methodist meeting, when we had been there 
a few minutes a preacher mounted the pulpit 
and began to preach, and raised his voice to 
an excessive pitch. Mr. C. he asked me, what 
I thought of him, (meaning the preacher,) I 
told him I thought he was a tarnel fool in my 
judgment, he wanted to display by force of 
voice what he should have done in eloquence. 
In the middle of his sermon Mr. C. got up 
and interrupted the man of the gospel, and in 
terms not to be misunderstood; he refuted the 
preacher, and in conclusion told him he was 
a damned liar; which remark, acted in the 
15* 



174 

meeting-house among the zealous members as 
would a firebrand in a magazine of powder: 
they began a general fight, some were for 
putting Mr. C. out of the meeting-house; by 
some friendly interference on our part, we got 
Mr. C. home to his house, he became so out- 
rageous, that he began to break all his bar 
furniture; he played hokey among the bottles, 
decanters, tumblers and glasses; smashed eve_ 
ry thing that came in his way, not even con- 
tent with that, he threw the kegs out into the 
bargain. His wife, for such gross misdemea- 
nor, as she held all the property in the house, 
and the house itself by virtue of her former 
marriage, had Mr.C. committed to jail; he lay in 
limbo three months, at the end of that time he 
was let out; but how he came out or by what 
means I never learned. Mrs. C. w;is under 
the necessity to renew her bar furniture — I 
still boarded on; I began to hint to Mrs. C- 
that I was glad the cold weather was coming 
on, that I should get clear of hard work* 
Mrs. C. asked me one day, what was I going 
to do that winter.-* I told her that I was not 
going to do any thing that I knew of. She 
asked me what 1 w^ould charge her to attend 



175 

to the affairs of her bar for that winter. I told 
her, that it would not be worth my while to 
think about any thing like that, remarking 
to her, that Mr. C. would be home shortly 
again. She gave me the assurance, that he 
would not see her house for that winter. I 
told her if I staid, I would not charge her any 
thing for my services, except my boarding, 
washing, and so forth. She told me she would 
find me in all that, and pay me besides. In 
one week after our confab, I quit my trade, 
and began to keep her bar for that winter. I 
lived jam, up in my new sphere till some time 
in the month of March. During the winter I 
struck a bargain with Mr. Henderson, in Ma- 
rietta, to work for him during the season for 
twenty-four dollars per month, and to find me 
in every thing. 

I worked in the town of Marietta about one 
month, in this time, as all young men will do, 1 
sauntered about the town, I called in at a ta- 
vern kept by a Mr, J. Nichols, and happened 
to see a little Dutch girl, with whose appear- 
ance I was wound up pretty tight at first sight. 
My boss was bound by our contract to find me 
board, I requested him to change my board- 



176 

ing house, to which he readily consented as 
the prices of boarding were all one, it made 
no difference to him, so I left my old boarding 
bouse and took up my board with Mr. J. N., 
on account of my little Dutch girl, who by 
the by was rather shy, owing to her youth, as 
she had not attained her fifteenth year, and 
not very well versed in my native language, I 
had a considerable difficulty to encounter to 
obtain an interview with her; although I had 
spent nearly one and an half year's among the 
people of Lancaster county, who are in gene- 
ral descendants of Germans, and was at a loss 
as I could not speak the language that was com- 
monly used in that neighborhood, being of 
somewhat a twister. I shuffled my pack until 
1 had worked myself into her notice. I pro- 
posed one Sunday to take a jaunt to the York 
county shore of the river Susquehanna; she 
consented, and we went to get some pears 
on the farm of Mr. Hoke, wc got pears and 
cherries as many as we wanted, and on 
our way back our boat struck on a kind 
of sand bar, the male part of the boat's crew 
got out to shove the boat off the sand bar, and 
while in our exertion to get the boat afloat 



177 

again, a snake bit me in the foot just below 
the ankle, and left a mark there which I shall 
carry to my grave, as the saying is; my foot 
swelled most prodigiously, and kept me in 
bed for four or five weeks in the hands of Dr. 
Watson. While I was convalescing, I Had 
time and opportunity to press my suit with my 
little Dutch girl, and things began to go right 
smooth; although things began to go pretty 
smooth, I had two formidable rivals to contend 
with, insomuch as one of them had lands in 
the western country, which to my little girl 
was an obstacle for me to remove; I soon, how- 
ever, fell upon a plan which counterbalanced 
the objection — I advanced the idea, that I held 
in my possession Indian lands, and that as soon 
as we were married we would go and take 
possession and enjoy our riches, which kind of 
blarney quieted the objection she had to me 
and considered me as a freeholder; however, we 
never yet went, and perhaps never will, to take 
possession of our western country farm. 

The other lad, who was a tavern-keeper in 
Maytown, I stigmatised him as a gambler, who 
would lead her a life of wonders, and leave 
her room to rue her folly when too late, to 



178 
which she lent an ear as though it were all or- 
thodox, and so next after that I had less trou- 
ble when all her objections were removed, I 
perceived that I rose in her esteem daily, and 
I of course became more and more enamored 
with her, as her appearance filled my eye to a 
fraction. She was beautiful, in a word, she 
was just what I thought a wife ought to be; 
being chuck full of it, I proposed matrimony 
to her, which she refused, upon the grounds 
that she was too young, and that her father 
would not be agreed to the match. I next en- 
listed a Mrs. Shaur, a neighbor of ours, into the 
service, and instructed her to help the cause 
all she could, and as soon as she could. She 
succeeded in her undertaking to a minute, she 
obtained all I wished, and in about two weeks 
we went to Maytown, and had ourselves mar- 
ried by an old German preacher, on the 19th 
day of July, 1898. Her father heard that I 
had married his daughter, which raised his 
dander to such a pitch as to elicit a threat from 
him, that he would shoot me, which put me 
into a notion that he might be fool enough to 
carry his threat into execution, and to avert 
such a state of things, not willing to die then, 



179 

I came to the conclusion to absent myself for 
a while, until his passion had cooled down to 
a proper temperature. So off I started, and 
bent my course westward, and stopped in 
Adams county, Pennsylvania, in the neighbor- 
hood of Oxford, and there I called a halt and 
commenced a job of some considerable note. 
I plastered a very large two story brick house 
for a Mr. John Steigers; the job amounted to 
eighty dollars. When Mr. S's house was fin- 
ished, except the basement story, which was 
not included in our bargain, and newly mar- 
ried, I proposed to Mr. S. to let me have the 
old mansion house for that winter to live in, 
until I could see about me to get a house to 
live in, that I would pay him a rent for it dur- 
ing my stay, to which proposition he acquies- 
ced in as soon as I proposed it to him. I also 
got him to send his team to Marietta to bring 
my wife and baggage from Lancaster county 
to Adams county, which he did. He gave me 
a horse to ride, to go ahead of the team to see 
how the land laid. I entered the town of Ma- 
rietta after night, and found all was well. I 
loaded our affairs the next morning, and put 
out for Mr. S. like a man who had just beea 



180 

married. We arrived in safety with our cargo 
and remained with Mr. S. for that winter. 

In the spring following, I changed my place 
of residence, by moving to M'Sherry's-town, 
to the house of an old Dutchman, a tailor, by 
the name of Overbaugh. While we were in 
the bustle of our flitting and ready to sit down 
to supper, we had a coffee-pot full of hot cof- 
fee, and coffee-pot full of cold water; our land- 
lord in the plenitude of his goodness called to 
pay us a visit. I asked him to help himself to 
a drink of whiskey, which he did by taking it 
in the good old way; he took the bottle and 
applied mouth and mouth together; the whis- 
key as it rolled down burnt his throat, and as 
our cold water was in the coffee-pot, he pick- 
ed up the pot that had the hot coffee in it, 
and sent a swad of the hot coffee after the 
whiskey, which terribly scalded his throat. He 
screwed up his face and mouth, that it looked 
nine ways for Sunday. He bawled out bah. 
It was fun for me, and death to Mr. Over- 
baugh. We lived with our good old Dutch- 
man from April to the month of September, 
when I moved from M^Sherry's-town to Ha- 
nover, in York county, Pennsylvania, to a 



181 

Mr. F. H's house, whose wife had been 
called, as I hope, to a better and happier 
than this world, and as he had been be- 
reaved of his better half, he concluded to 
sell his family provisions and quit house- 
keeping, so we struck a bargain in thefol 
lowing articles; and mark reader how he 
sowed up my eyes, he took the barrel of 
flour and made it lay as loose as possible, 
and made me believe that two bakings only 
had been used out of it, and I was to pay 
him five dollars for it; he had also a half 
barrel of shad, and he had the meanness 
to sell the best of them at 18 3-4 cents per 
piece, and left all the small ones for me; 
says he. Bill, you can take this half barrel 
of shad at 18 3-4 per piece, and he was to 
take the whole of that out in boarding with 
me at the rate of j^l 50 per week, for him- 
self and his boy. I also bought all that was 
in the garden, not a single thing in it was 
excepted, for ten dollars. My wife, after 
she baked two bakings out of my five dol- 
lar barrel, she reported that the flour was 
all gone. Thinks I to myself, very well, I'll 
pay you for that, Mr. H., and told my wife 
16 



182 
to say nothing about it. I in the mean^ 
time became acquainted among my neigh- 
bors, and among the rest was a Mr. B., he 
asked me one day, if I had bought all Mr. 
H's house ammunition, such as flour, shad, 
and all that was in the garden. I told him 
I had; he asked me what I paid a piece for 
the shad; I honestly told him, that I paid 
him 18 3-4 cents per piece for them. He 
told me, says he, that is too bad; and con- 
tinued he, why, I bought the pick of the 
whole barrel at that price. I told Mr. B. 
that I would mind Mr. H. for that, he then 
told me, that I should watch him, that he 
was a pretty slippery little fellow. By this 
time, the fall of the year was approaching, 
I had a pony, and having bought the whole 
garden, I put my pony called Bonaparte? 
into the grass-patch to fill himself on the 
grass that grew on that part of the lot, and 
when I had turned him into the garden, I 
went up town; when I came home, my 
wife informed me that Mr. H. had turned 
out my horse, and would not suffer him to 
run at large in the lot — to which piece of 
intelligence, 1 told my wife, that I would go 



483 

and turn him in a^in. She begged of me 
1 should not, that we certainly would have 
a quarrel about it; to which I replied that 
I did not care, that the lot was certainly 
mine till spring, and 1 just went and turned 
my pony into the garden again, and watched 
my pony to see il Mr. H. would turn him out 
again. Mr. 11. came a second time, arm- 
ed with a hoop-pole to turn out Bonaparte, 
and when I seen what he was up to, I ob- 
served to him, if he ofTered to turn out my 
horse, I would throw him over the garden 
fence; he dared me to throw him over the 
fence; and I dared him to turn Bonaparte 
out; so this was about the beginning of our 
quarrel- While we were in the height of 
our quarrel, an idea flitted over my brains, 
that I had bought the whole garden and 
nothing excepted therein; and to put him 
into the fidgets, I told him that I had bought 

the whole garden, and I would be 

if I did not chop down every apple tree 
that was on the lot; and he dared me to do 
it; and I, to apply the action to the word, 
I went for the axe, which he espied, and 
supposed that I would realize my words. 



184 

he started off full tilt down to 'Squire Hil- 
man; he told the 'squire that I was going 
to cut down all his apple trees, which would 
ruin his garden, and he wanted a warrant 
for me right away. The 'squire advised 
him to send for me as a neighbor, and try 
to come to a compromise about the matten 
that he could do nothing with me until 
spring, until my lease had expired — upon 
which, Mr. H. came in his proper person 
for me, to come before the 'squire without 
the warrant; he acted as a kind of consta- 
ble for himself in tlie way I have told you. 
I told H. if the 'squire wanted more with 
me than I did with the 'squire, he should 
Come to me; and added, that I cared no- 
thing for him nor the 'squire, or any body 
else. He found himself higher behind than 
before, as the saying is; he began to apo- 
logise to me and said, he was in a passion, 
and made overtures to bury the hatchet 
and make good friends. I told him as an 
offset to remember the flour and the shad, 
as I allowed that he could do whh me as 
he pleased as I was a new beginner, and a 
little green. 



185' 

I told him, however, that if he thought 
€0, that he reckmied without his host. I 
consented finally to settle the hash, after he 
allowed me to put my pony Bonaparte into 
the grass-patch when I pleased, upon 
which we made good friends. We then 
for a short time had a cessation of hostili- 
ties, the truce lasted till winter. 

Mr. H. was in the habit of workinfir late 
at night, he had a fashion of coming every 
night into the kitchen to examine for him- 
self, I asked my wife what took Mr. H. to 
the kitchen every night before he went to 
bed. She said she did not know, unless he 
went there to get something to eat. Said 
I, I'll stop him of that if I mistake not, the 
first cold night that comes; so one night be- 
ing very cold, I took a bucket of water and 
hung it over the door of the kitchen, and 
when he opened the kitchen door, and as I 
went to bed, I told my wife that she should 
not go to sleep until Mr. H. went into the 
kitchen; she wanted to know my reason. 
I told her, that I had hung up a bucket of 
water for him; she wanted to rise and remove 
it, and I would not let her; she then said 
16* 



186 

fehe would call to him whenr he came, I 
told her she should not, and we laid ia bed 
but a short time when he came and open- 
ed the kitchen door, which gave the buc- 
ket a tilt, and the water came souse over 
Mr. H. and gave him a complete shower 
over his head. He changed his linen and 
clothing before lie went to bed, muttering 
something all the time, and I laid snug in 
my bed laughing and enjoying the fun. In 
the morning after his shower bath I called 
him to breakfast. He asked me how I came 
to serve him such a nice trick last night. 
I thought it was not so very nice, and asked 
him, if it was him that went into the kit- 
chen; he said, yes; and I knew very well 
that it was him; I told him, yes, I know it 
now; he said that he might get his death 
of cold by it. I told him, that I did not tell 
him to go there I was sure. 1 told him that 
if he was hungry and would say so, my 
wife would have a piece ready for him in 
the room, that he had no right to go to the 
kitchen. He said he went there to see af- 
ter the fire. I told him 1 thought my v/ife 
was old enough to take care of them things, 



187 

that was anether offence which we also 
made up; I told him I had merely done it 
for fun. 

We lived in peace and harmony after the 
ratification of our last treaty until spring, 
when spring came, and moving time which 
happens on all fool's day; I moved away 
from Mr. H's house into the houee of Mr. 
Swope, who resided nearer the diamond 
of the town. Some time after that, he ask* 
ed me what I would have to plaster the two 
rooms and passage I had occupied, and 
which I had left; being in the fall of the 
year, I had not much work on hand, I told 
him I w^ould do it for twelve dollars, and he 
find the laborer; he said that sum was too 
much, he would rather give it to me by the 
day, that I could do it quicker than by the 
job. I told him 1 did not know. I asked 
him what he would give a day; he told me 
he would give me a dollar a day and I 
board myself I told him that his offer was 
lower than I had ever worked in my life; 
but if he would give me a half gallon of 
beer per day, for me and the laborer, 1 
would do it for him; to which proposition 



188 

he agreed to, and I fell to work, and I be- 
gan to think that now it was time to get 
pay back for my flour and shad. I worked 
until I had spun out the job for thirty-one 
days, and polished my work, the walls 
were as smooth as glass. Mrs. Meyers, a 
neighbor lady, came in one day to take a 
look at the work, she said it was as smooth 
as a mirror. Mr. H. as well as the neigh- 
bors began to see that he was sucked; he 
began one day to throw out an insinuation, 
that I had caught him in our contract. I 
admitted I had, and observed to him, that 
I knew that he never would give me ano- 
ther chance to put it to him, and thought 
that now we were about even in our deal- 
ings, as he had cheated me in the flour 
and shad, and I had hellishly cheated him 
in the plastering, so I allowed it was tit for 
tat, the plastering was worth about twelve 
dollars, and I charged him thirty-one, and 
thirty-one half gallons of beer, so I thought 
I had fixed his flint pretty well. 

The reader v/iU be here informed, how 
I got the name of Big Bill the plasterer; 
having taken up my residence in \he town 



189 
of Hanover, in York county, Pennsylvania^ 
the inhabitants of the town are principally 
descendants of Germans, and of course 
have inherited from their ancestors their 
manners and customs; they soon found a 
name for me, as they were not willing to 
put themselves to any trouble to ascertain 
my name, they supplied my real name 
with that of "Der gross Bill der plasterer,'' 
i. e. Big Bill the plasterer, and to corrobo- 
rate their ideas, suffer me to add, that in 
height I am six feet four inches, and my 
weight about that time was two hundred 
and fifty-two pounds; being then about 
thirty-one years of age; my present weight 
is two hundred and fort} -seven pounds, 
and am m the forty-eighth year of my age. 
So after the description of Big Bill the plas- 
terer; when I had a little leisure time, I 
took a tramp to Emmitsburg, and a good 
job of considerable value to me and my 
partner, Mr. Samuel Agnew. We plaster- 
ed the white house for the Sisters of Cha- 
rity, house of St. Joseph's, near Emmits- 
burg; while I was in the pursuit of my la- 
bor in plastering the sisterhood house, I 



190 

took sick, and laid confined to bed for two 
weeks. Mother Seaton was at that time 
superior sister, their attendance on me dur- 
ing my sickness, was superior to any at- 
tendance I got in my life. I can scarcely 
refrain from passing an eulogy upon the as- 
sociation incorporated by the name and 
style as above stated, and am only re- 
strained by the feeling that might be awak- 
ened as they wish to be styled only what 
they de facto practice, charity; for which I 
here present them my warmest and most 
cordial thanks for iheir kindness towards 
me, as a mark of esteem and respect for 
them as a body politic. After I had reco- 
vered my health, Mr. Agnew and myself 
finished our job, and after we were done 
we started for our home, and between the 
town of Gettysburg and Oxford, Mr. Agnew 
and myself, we were attacked a little after 
dark by a set of very cross dogs at the farm 
of Mr. J. Witter; we were in the main road 
leading towards Hanover, the rascals were 
so fierce that we could scarce defend our- 
selves; I at length made use of my hatchet, 
I threw it at one of them, and it being 



19^1 
dark, I could not find it again, Mr. Wittef 
came out and asked us what we were doing 
there, I told him I had lost my hatchet, he said 
if you do not clear out you Irish Rascals I'le 
hatchet you with the devil to you. I began to 
think that poor comfort was about for us. 

I told him that I'd go just where I pleased, 
and I scarcely had the word uttered until he 
hit me a pelt and knocked me down, my part- 
ner he had a stick in his hand and he up and 
knocked Witterdown, and when he was down 
I crawled on top of him and began to hammer 
him, when he began to sing out murder; at his 
cries his mother came out armed with a pair of 
tongs in her one hand and a candle in the other 
hand, and she saw that I was on top of her son 
beating him, she hit me a lick across my back 
with her tongs, my partner he gave the auld 
lady a kick and sent her heels over head, and 
then she sung out murder, the lick the old witch 
gave me on the back gave me a very severe 
bruise, and unstrung my nerves, I let go my 
hold and Witter he crawled on his porch with 
a broken skin, and head fractured, he called to 
his hireling, Yunt by name, to bring him his 
gun to shoot the rascals, as he called us, at 



192 

which we picked up our tacklings and put to 
our scrapers as speedy as we could move, they 
followed us to Upbolt's tavern near Oxford, we 
told Mr. Upbolt the circumstance, he told us 
us to hide up stairs, we we were scarcely there 
ten minutes when Mr. Witter came along in- 
quiring after us, the tavern keeper said he heard 
us go past the bridge towards Oxford, they 
then renewed their pursuit after us, the land- 
lord told us we might now come down they 
were gone, so I called for a gill of Brandy to 
wash my face and neck which were pretty 
much scratched and cut from our rencontre. I 
washed my wounds with the Brandy, we then 
made the best of our way home through the coun- 
try. When we came honne on the following 
day we started off for Baltimore, to draw our 
pay for finishing the white house at the Sisters 
of Charity, our order was drawn on the Rev- 
erend Mr. Balchster at Baltimore. When we 
presented the order it was promptly reduced 
at sight; we returned home, and on our return 
found out a trick or two. Witter he found the 
hatchet I threw at his dog, and sent his man 
Yunt to Getty sburgh to ferret out whose hatch- 
et it was, and in his inquiries he met John Ag- 



193 

new, the Brother to my partner, he told Yunt 
that his Brother Samuel and myself had pass- 
ed through Gettysburgh that day. Witter 
having a clue upoa the matter he got out a 
states warrant for us; when Samuel Agnew 
learned that a states warrant was out for us he 
put out and left me to make of it the best I 
could. One day I rode to M'Sherry's-town on 
my poney Bonaparte, to a kind of a shop kept 
by a certain man by the name of Oaster. Mr. 
Witter's Brother, who was a constable and held 
in his possession the state's warrant 1 have al- 
ready spoken of he inquired of Oaster if I was 
Big Bill the plasterer, to which Oaster replied 
I was. So then he arrested me and began to 
call for assistance, I told him he need not call 
for any help that I would go with him to Ox- 
ford to Squire Slagle's. So when we came to 
Oxford we stopped at the house of George 
Hirne, and sent for Squire Slagle, I had not been 
there fifteen minutes until all the men, women 
and children in the town were there to see me 
and some called me the big Irish Murderer,they 
made a great many remarks about me and all 
unfavorable, I began to feel the lads a little for I 
got some idea of the German language by this 
17 



194 

time, the constable as usual in those cases had 
the Squire brought to the town, and they told 
him that they had got this big Irishman; the 
Squire asked me if I was the man, I told him 
yes I was one of them, he asked if I was pre- 
pared with security for my appearance at court, 
I told him I was not acquainted with any body 
in that county, he said that it Was a very hard 
case that sucli a young man as f should go to 
jail and lay in jail until court time, he then ask- 
ed where I lived, J told him that I resided in 
Hanover. Well said he have you no acquaint- 
ances about here said he me to me, I told him 
I knew no body except his Father, who was 
Judge of tlie court, he asked me how I came to' 
know his father, I told him I became acquaint- 
ed with him when I plastered Mr. Steiger's 
house, he asked me if I was the man who had 
plastered Mr. S's. house, I told him I was, he 
then said that if I would ask the old man, mean- 
ing Judge Slagle, that he perhaps, would go 
my security'for my appearance at court, I told 
him I could not ask the Judge, or any other 
person about here, meaning the neighbuor- 
hood of Oxford, and gave Justice Slagle an 
idea that I would have to go to jail, inasmuch 



195 

as I could not furnish the security that he as a 
conservator of the peace would require of me 
to fulfil the office which he fi.Ued, he observ- 
ed it would be a pity if I should lay in jail un- 
til court, and he took his Magesterial Chair 
and began to discharge the duties imposed up- 
on him by virtue of his office and wrote a Mit- 
timus, and when he had written it he gave it 
into the hands of the official officer who had 
arrested me. When the constable had the 
commitment in his possession he asked Mr. 
Hirnes, the landlord, for a pair of pistols in the 
German Language. Mr. Hirnes in the same 
language replied to the constable to make me 
drunk and after I was drunk he could take me 
along just as he pleased, that he had no occa- 
sion at all for a brace of pistols. He took Mr. 
landlord's advice, he called for a large glass of 
brandy sling mixed with other liquors, called 
stone-ience; we drank the brandy sling amongst 
us, and in the meantime I called for a gallon of 
oats for my pony Bonaparte, the Squire asked 
the constable if he was going to take me to 
Gettysburgh that night, he told him no, that he 
was going to take me to his brother's, which 
jyas about half way between Oxford and Qet? 



196 

tysburgh that night, that he would there tie me 
and remain at his brother's for the night, and 
take me to Getty sburgh the next day. Thinks 
I to myself boy you have not got me there yet, 
he called for another glass of brandy sUng, the 
first being drank, we drank that, and he called 
for another glass. Hirnes, the landlord observ- 
ed to him after the third glass was drank, that 
he thought that now I had enough; by this time 
he had our horses ordered to the door, I mount- 
ed my pony, the crowd of folks being gathered 
around us to witness the scene, off we started, 
and rode about one and a half miles to a Mr, 
Knight's tavern, near the tavern was a fine 
piece of woods, I began to think that tliose 
chances which there presented themselves to 
me to make my escape ought not to be neglect- 
ed. I addressed my Mr. constable in plain 
words (whicli he did not expect, I knew he 
was not armed with any kind of weapons more 
than the one nature supplies all men with, the 
fists) by saying to him I believe I shall go no 
farther with you to night, he asked my reasons 
for my wish, I told him I never was tied in my 
life, and did not intend to be tied by him that 
night, I laid my hand on my pony's neck and 



J 97 

turned his head into the woods, gave him the 
whip, and off he ran into the woods as hard as 
he could lay legs to the ground, and the consta- 
hle he after me and he raised the cry of stop 
thief and I hollowi^d stop thief, we run as I 
thought about half a mile, until my pony ran 
bolt up to a high fence, I jumped off, pulled 
down a few rails and jumped my poney'over, 
thinking that if the constable came up to the 
fence 1 would knock him down, at length I 
heard him give tongue about one hundred yards 
from me, 1 made answer to liim, he came to 
where I was, lie asked me where the devil Iwas 
going to, I told him I did not know yet, where 
I was going to he began to expostulate with me 
and advised me to come back and go with him; 
to which I told him I would not, and said I 
would sooner die than go with him, he tried to 
persuade me, 1 told him it was useless, that go 
with him I would not upon no account, he then 
made an attempt to get on the fence to which 
manouvre I gave him a caution to stand off, if 
he made the attempt to get on the fence I cer- 
lainly would knock his brains out for him; we 
then maintained our position as we were with a 
fence between us, we had a long argument on 
17* 



198 

the stale of our affairs. At length he offered 
to go my security upon condition that I would 
not run away, I told him I could not depend 
upon that kind of mush, and observed to him 
that I believed that I would rather depend upon 
my own course. I got on my pony and made 
a move to be off. he did not like to see me 2:0 
as he said to me when I was on the point of 
riding off, to which I said if he would swear 
that he would go my secui-ity that I would go 
with him, to which he swore a very heavy 
plantation oath that he would, and told him to 
ride a head to Squire Slagle's and I would fol- 
low him. So we rode to Squire Slagle's, and 
when we came there he was in bed, we roused 
hiui up, the Squire asked who is there, to 
which interrogation he answered that it was 
Mr. Otter and himself, saying he believed he 
would bail me, that he pitied me, the Squire 
he thought it was right, he thought there was 
no danger in it. I staid on my horse until the 
Squire said it was all fixed, we then went to 
George Hirne's tavern and took a drink in 
friendship, and then I mounted horse and rode 
home. My wife knew nothing of this perform- 
ance until court time came on. When the 



199 

time of Oyer and Terminer and General Jail 
Delivery came up on the court rolls, amongst 
the rest my case made its appearance, I called 
upon an attorney^ Mr. George Mitzgar, a prac- 
tised Barrister, to defend my case. Mr. Wit- 
ter, the State's evidence, he produced the 
bloody shirt as an evidence against me, as also 
the hatchet, and swore point blank that 1 had 
struck him with the hatchet, which was as 
point blank a falsehood as ever fell from the 
lips of man, for I threw the hatchet at the dog 
before we came into contact with each other. 
In the course of the trial while Mr. Witter was 
on the stand. Judge Hamilton, presiding Judge 
of the court, asked the witness pointedly this 
question, did you see the defendant or his part- 
ner distinctly strike you with the hatchet, to 
which he answered that lie could not distinctly 
and positively say that he did for it was dark 
and could not discriminate which of the two 
had struck the blow, the absence of proof of 
my guilt in striking the blow, my attorney im- 
pressed the idea upon the Jury, who without 
ever leaving the box pronounced a verdict or 
not guilty for me — upon my acquittal one of 
the witness made information upon oath against 



200 

Mr. Wittor for keeping a set of dogs so fero- 
cious in their nature as to constitute them a pub- 
lic nuisance, and proved tlietn sucli to the sat- 
isfaction of the court and Jury, and Mr. Witter 
was fined ninet}' dollars, and he had the court 
charges to pay in both suits, and I came off 
with flying colors and glad of it. Mr. Metz- 
gar my attorney, told me to go to Witter and 
ask him for my hatchet, and if he refused to 
deliver it up to me to sue him on the spot for 
it, and to prosecute him for false imprisonment 
into ihe bargain. I went to Witter and de- 
manded my hatchet, he asked me if it was mine, 
and I asked him if it was his, he said it was 
not, I said then give it to me or else Pie sue 
you for itupon the spot, as for the false impris- 
onment I cared nothing for that, I was glad I 
was clear of the scrape, and so ended this spree. 
The next spree was one of rather more force 
than fighting dogs and men, it arose as the 
reader will learn in the sequel. I got a job of 
plastering to do in Gettysburgh for a Mr. Da- 
vis, a chair maker, he had a journeyman ofthe 
name of James Doogan, in a few days after I 
liad commenced work at Mr. Davis's, James 
Doogan and myself became acquainted. 1 
found that James had got himself in the habit 



201 

of running after night, and was determined to 
watch the lad; I watched him, one night he 
took away the shop ladder down to the lower 
end of the garden to a small house that stood 
near a vacant lot, lie put up the ladder against 
the gable end window of the house, it was a 
one story house. I laid concealed about a 
a quarter of an hour, I then went and took a- 
way the ladder and alarmed the old people? 
who occupied the house, the Daddy of the fam- 
ily was somewhat a rough sort of a christian, 
he in short order raised a hell of a rumpus? 
James he slipped his understanding out of the 
window to catch with his feet the top of the 
ladder, but no ladder was there, being hard 
pressed he iiad to let go his hold and down he 
came sock on the ground. I had laid myself 
into a fence corner watching the lad, and to 
see the performance, poor Jim who by the way 
had a very hard fall, he came crawling on his 
hands and knees towards me, making his way 
homewards as well as he could, every yard or 
two he would mutter the words O Lord, which 
tickled me most prodigiously, 1 almost killed 
myself laughing at him — he crawled over the 
fence into Mr. Davis's lot, and I ran round by 



202 

an ally and got into bed before him, and by 
and by my Jim he came crawling up stairs up- 
on his hands and knees, when he came into 
the room he called for me thus, oh Otter, and 
I pretended not to hear him, then he called to 
me O Bill, I responded who is there, he said 
for God sake get up, and go for the Doctor 
for me, I told him to go the devil and not both^ 
er me, he by this time crawled up to the bed 
side and insisted on me going for the Doctor 
for him, I then asked him what was the mat- 
ter, he had a good lie made up bad as he was 
hurt, he said he was coming up the back alley, 
that two dogs attacked him and in trying to get 
out of their way he fell over the fence, and be- 
^eved that he had broke some of his ribs. To 
vyhicb speech I remarked that he was only ma- 
Idng fyn — he declared to God that he did not, 
J then said he should come to bed that I would 
go for the Doctor for him, he said he could not 
that he had crawled from the lower end of the 
lot up to the bed on his hands and knees. I 
then vyent for the Doctor for him, the Doctor 
came and I got a candle, the Doctor examined 
him and found his ribs black and blue all on 
pne side of his body, from his shoulder to the 



205 

hip. The Doctor after the examination pro- 
nounced his ribs very much jarred but not 
broke; he asked him how he fell, Jim told him 
that he was so much in a hurry he cauld not 
tell him how he fell, which in part was the 
truth, for the old fellow was so wrothy that 
there was no time to think either before or af- 
ter he fell from the gable end window. I 
asked Jim, to humor the joke, if he knew 
whose dogs they were, he said he did not, 
and added if he knew whose they were he 
would be switched if he woddn't shoot them. 
I added and so would 1 if I were him. The 
Doctor said it was well that the dogs had not 
caught him, I allowed they had caught him, the 
Doctor he tapped Jim's claret and took a good 
deal of blood, and told him that he would call 
to see him the next morning. After that he 
put out, and as he went out he enjoined it on 
Jim ib lay as still as he could for that night. — 
Jini he obeyed the Doctor's directions, he lay 
as quiet as he could during that night until 
morning. Agreeably to the Doctor's promise 
to call and see Jim in tlie morning. Doctor 
Wells came as he had promised and gave hinn' 
some mediciHC. I inquired of the Doctor how 



204 

he was, the Doctor said that he must certainly 
have got a higher fall than off of the fence as 
he was bruised too severe for a fall of the size 
described by Jim, and allowed that he was not 
dangerously ill, he the Doctor asked me if I 
was with him when he fell, or did I know any 
thing about it, I told him I was not with him 
when he fell and that I knew nothing about it. 
Mrs. Davis she came in the morning to pay Jim 
a visit, as he was an inmate of the house, and 
had some toast to refresh him, with that she 
set up an inquiry about his misventures, he 
told her the made up story of his falling over 
the fence. Jim lay quiet as a mouse until a- 
bout the middle of the afternoon when a 
circumstance occurred which led to a dis- 
covery of the true cause of Jim's caper and 
mine. Mr. Davis the boss had occasion to go 
aloft for some stuff to make chairs, he could 
not find the ladder which they had to ascend 
with to get their chair stuff off the garret, he 
asked the boy if he knew where the ladder 
was; the boy said no, Mr. Davis sent the boy to 
enquire of Jim if he knew where the ladder 
was, Jim answered him no, he then asked 
me if I knew where the ladder was, and I 



205 

answered him no. So there was all no, and no 
ladder amongst us as we did not want it then, 
the boss told the boy that he must go and hunt 
the ladder, and the boy had some idea for what 
purpose it had been used on former and similar 
occasions, for he went down to the end of his 
master's lot and found it like a daizy. Davis 
and his wife arrived at the true conclusion of 
Jim's scrape, they allowed thatin visiting a cer- 
tain house which stood at the end of their lot 
that Jim must have fallen from that window in 
the gable end, and asked me if I knew any 
thing about it, to frustrate their surmise as 
all their ideas on the subject was conjecture, I 
replied to them that I knew nothing about it, 
and told them that I would ask that night when 
I went to bed. I told Jim when I came to bed 
how I had been chatechised about the ladder 
by the boss and how and where he found it, 
and his suspicions about it. Jim he confessed 
to me that all was true, and that he would give 
ten dollars if he knew who took away the lad- 
der, yet enjoined it on me not to say any thing 
to the boss about it. I told him I certainly 
would conceal it from him, and told Jim that 
if any body was to serve me so, that I would 
18 



206 

give him a hell of a thumping if I would 
find him out. Poor Jim had to keep his 
bed for about two weeks, until he was able 
to work again — so ended that scrape, and 
Jim he paid for the roast, and when 1 was 
done with my work, I put out and left all 
hands about the house^ as the miUtary 
phrase is, "as you were.'' 

The next job that I done was a house for 
a Mr. Joseph Walker, near Monococy, 
where I once got dinner while the old man 
was saying grace at the table; he had been 
in the habit of saying grace before meals, 
and one day we had apple-dumplings for 
dinner, and my work admitted of no delay; 
when the old man began to say grace, he 
closed his eyes, and kept them closed un- 
til he was done with his prayer, and as he 
began to pray, I began to play away at the 
apple-dumplings, and as he finished his 
prayer I finished my dinner; and when he 
Opened his eyes, he invited me to help my-« 
Self, to which invitation, which was a very 
cordial one, as they treated we very well 
all the time I was there, I thanked the old 
gentleman, and informed him, that I had 



207 

just fiaished my dinner. This I thought 
was doing business on a middling short 

scale. 

One Sunday, I had a notion to take a 
ride to myself, I kept dodging about the 
stable till about two o'clock, P. M. when I 
thought dinner should be ready, and no sign 
of dinner, I asked one of the little girls 
how soon will dinner be ready; she said 
not until-the-cows-come-home. I told the 
iitde girl to go for the cows that I was very 
hungry; her mother saw us talking toge- 
ther; she inquired of the little girl what I 
had said; she told her mother that I had 
said, that she must go for the cows, that I 
wanted my dinner. The old lady told the 
little girl to call me to the house, that she 
would give me pye and milk. I went to the 
house and eat pye and drank milk as much 
as I wanted, and then got my horse and 
took a ride to myself, and that was 
one way of taking dinner when the 
cows-come-home. When I was done with 
Mr. Walker's, I went to Hanover to see 
my family; and when 1 had got home, the 
fair at the town of Berlin came round, at a 
fair estimate, I thought I should b,e there tQ 



208 

see the sport. I started off for the BerUii 
fair myself, and went as far as Abbotstown, 
and was there joined by a certain Mr. Ca- 
leb Bailes, who was one of the wonders of 
the world, we went ironi Abbotstown to 
Berlin together, and sported about all day, 
and another man in company with Bailes 
and myself, who was the owner of a small 
pony; he was solicitous to know if Bailes 
and myself were going- home that evening. 
Bailes, he asked me if we would go. I told 
him I would rather stay than go home — 
and I asked Bailes where the fellow lived; 
he told me he lived near Abbotstown; I 
asked Bailes what kind of a lad he was; to 
which Bailes said, that he was a kind of a 
green chap. I said to Caleb, let us keep 
him with us for the night, and let us have 
a spree. Bailes asked how would we keep 
him; I said to Bailes, I would hide the fel- 
low's pony; Bailes told me, that if I would 
hide his pony for him, that he would give 
me a handsome treat. I told Bailes to keep 
the fellow in the dancing room, I would 
soon fix that matter. Bailes kept the fel- 
low, and I went to the stable and looked 



209 

about the stable, and found near to the sta* 
hie a corn crib, wherein they had stowed 
some barrels filled with rye, and some 
empty barrels, and a door to the corn crib. 
I told the hostler to take my horse, and 
Mr. Bailes' horse down to the creek and 
wash their legs well, that we would be 
there all night, while the hostler took our 
horses to the creek to wash their leers -^s i 
directed him, I took the fellow's po'^iy out 
of the shed and put him into the cf^jrn crih, 
and shut the door on him. I we nt to the 
hostler when he came back from the creek 
with our horses, and ordered a p eck of oats 
a piece, telling him thr..; we v .1^1,1 not go 
away until morning — next af ,; '.t I went 
into the tavern, and went into the room 
where they were dancing; Culeb Bailes 
when he seen me, he asked me. if I Lad fix- 
ed him, I told him I had; this "^^0111 ig man 
was dancing at that time, the ovvner of the 
pony which I had hid in the cornc-rib. Bai- 
les, iie asked me where 1 had hid th e pony, 
1 told him he was in the crib; Caleb, he al- 
lowed that the pony was in a very ;. ^ 
place. After the young man had his diu ,. 
out, we all went up to the bar and took ■ 
18* 



210 

drink; while we were drinking, Mr. Bailes 
asked me if I was going to stay all night. 
I told him I would, as the day had worn 
away too far now to think of going home? 
that I should stay in town now for that 
nisrht. He then addressed himself to the 
youcg man whose pony was hid in the corn 
crib, if he was going to stay for the night; 
i. . said he believed not, that he was going 
hu;. • ^^ e all three agreed we would go 
and tal^e shipper, it was about supper time; 
after sai>per we all went down to the sta- 
ble; Mr. 'Bailes asked the hostler if he had 
led ourliorses; he told Mr. B. that he had, 
that I had been there and had ordered him 
to give tht?ni a peck of oats a piece. Mr- 
B. looked f ibout for the young man's pony; 
the hostler f^aid that he was hitched in the 
shed; he tc>ld the hosUer to bridle him, and 
he took the lanthern and went into the 
shed, and» when he came there, no pony 
was ther'e; we went into the shed ourselves 
and looked all about the yard and could 
seenothirgof the pony; the young man 
Seg-an to feel for himself in the absence of 
hiKi pony, and said that he would look to 
tl\e hostler for him. The hostler said, that 



211 
he never gave him to him to keep hi^n for 
him; he said it was a very nice piece of 
business. We began to persuade him to 
stay all night, that perhaps he would find 
him in the morning; he consented, and we 
cruized about until midnight, we all called 
for beds; the landlord, Mr. Sw.artz, he put 
us into a bed-room, that he had at least one 
dozen of beds in it. The beds were arrang- 
ed in a row on one side of the room in 
\vhich they were placed, with a sufficient 
room to get into them. Two young meri 
lay in a bed next to the one Caleb Bailes 
and myself occupied for the night, arid they 
were both fast asleep when Bailes and my- 
self retired to rest. Bailes observed to me, 
if I could and would keep from laughing*^ 
that he would have them two fellows a! 
fighting in about five minutes, and Iwa^ 
all my life fond of sport; to see how he 
would manage the fellows who were sound- 
ly asleep at" the time to get them fighting? 
I made him a faithful promise, that L under 
all and every circumstance would refrain 
from laughing; he lay on the far side of 
the bed; he reached over me and uncover- 
ed the lads and exposed their legs, and 



212 

when he had that done, he had an extra- 
ordinary knack to pinch with his toes, and 
to heighten the scene for fun, his subjects 
had a dram or two ahead; he reached with 
his toes over our bed and got a hold of the 
lads hams and gave him a hell of a pinch; 
he sung out to his bed-fellow, "har ufp 
DU," i. e. behave yourself; this performance 
of Bailes made me feel the force of it so 
sensibly, that I was forced to take my pil- 
low to my mouth to smother the laugh 
which was swelling within, and which I 
was apprehensive I could not stifle, as I 
measurably had anticipated, the fun which 
had in part then been realized; he let the 
lads lay a little while, and then he gave the 
fellow another nip; the lad who received 
the pinch, addressed himself to his bed-fel- 
low in the German, sa;ying, "ich will ver- 
damnt sey, wan da noch a mohl mich 
pctz'st ich schlagt deir ains he das dich der 
deifei hohld." The fellow whom he ad- 
dressed in fi.uch rough and uncouth lan- 
guage, all the while lay snoring and uncon- 
scious of what was going on. Caleb let 
him lay a Uttle while longer, and presently 



213 

iie reached over a third time and gave the 
Dutchman a rouser of a pinch with his toes, 
upon the receipt of which he hastily set him- 
self up in bed and addressed himself to his 
comrade who all the while was asleep with 
*'By God ich will dish Schaarckzes," and whap 
he let the fellow have a hell of a blow with 
his fist right between his eyes, the fellow who 
was asleep jumped out of bed and began to sing 
out murder, the other fellow who had been 
pinched by Bailes he out of bed after him, and 
the two Dutchmen had a very hard fight for a. 
bout five minutes, when we began to feign our^ 
selves awake, we jumped out off bed and 
begged them not to fight. We as well as 
the fellows who fought were all in undress, 
the one he asked his comrade, after we had 
parted them for what he had struck him, he 
asserted that he had pinched him, that it was 
all black and blue, the other he called him a 
verdaumter ligner, conscious of his innocence, 
and at the exchange of the lie, they got at 
fighting the second time and did beat one ano- 
ther most unmerciful. After they raised the 
second row, the landlord and the landlady came 
into our dormitory to see and learn what was 



214 

the matter and they had a candle or two, to 
throw light upon the suhject, and as luck 
would have it they caught the whole of us in 
an undress, and the combatants start naked, for 
they had torn one another's shirts off of their 
backs. 

We'got the boys parted a second time and 
begged them to drop it and make friends, and 
after keeping them apart for a considerable 
time they at last agreed to make it up; they did 
so. After it was all made up the landlady in- 
quired into the cause of their rumpus, the one 
whom Bailes pinched asserted that the other 
one had pinched him,and to confirm his assertion 
he turned his bum to the landlady's inspection 
to corroborate what he had said was the truth 
by producing the marks which he said were 
black and blue. Next he drew her attention 
to his ham, and there showed the marks which 
were then visible of the fellow's pinching him. 
The landlady having before her the evidence 
of the facts and by her declared as such — the 
other fellow who by this time stood convict in 
the landlady's estimation, said that if he had 
pinched him he must have done it in his sleep 
and was unconscious of it, and our pony rnaj) 



^15 

lie lay in the bed next to our's trembling, and 
half scared to death, all the while the fellows 
were fighting; and to close the scene they got 
a drink and we joined and got the pony man 
to participate in it. When we had all drank 
friends, we went to bed and slept soundly for 
the balance of the night, and the blackest pair 
of eyes I ever seen was exhibited by the fel- 
low who got the first blow the morning after 
the affray, and so ended the scrape, and the 
pony man the next morning he paid for the fun 
until he got his pony, which was about all the 
sport I enjoyed at the Berlin fair. And the way 
the pony business wound up was, we all fell 
to searching after his pony, and all to no pur- 
pose, he at last told the hostler that if he would 
find his pony he would give him a dollar, and 
after a reward of a dollar had been put upon 
the pony I told the hostler if he would keep 
dark I would tell him where the pony was, 
the hostler he said he would not divulge it for 
the sake of getting the reward, I then told him 
that he was hid by us in the corn crib adjoin- 
ing the shed^ he went there and seen that the 
pony was there as I had told him, and after 
some time he came in and told him that he had 



216 
found him, we asked him where he was, he 
said that if we would come out he would show 
us, we all followed the hostler to see where 
the pony was; he took us to the corn crib, and 
sure enough there Mr. pony was, the owner 
he said that he was the biggest rascal of the 
horse kind he ever knew. 

I told him that all that kind of ponies were 
like him, and he believed me as he had been 
so wofully tricked by his, as he thought by the 
pony, and he happened to be tricked by me 
all the time, the hostler he got the pony out of 
his place of concealment and the pony man 
paid him the reward. We all took a horn 
and mounted horse and started off from the 
Berlin fair for Abbotstown, when we came to 
Abbotstown, we all three Bailes, the pony man 
and myself, we stopped at the tavern kept by 
Mr. Gardner, the pony man he put out for his 
home, and Bailes he lived next door to the ta- 
vern, and opposite a Mr. Ickes also a ta- 
vern-keeper in Abbotstown, and a very inquis- 
itive kind of an old root; Bailes knew exactly 
what kind of game we had before us, he told 
me that he, Ickes, would certainly call over to 
see and learn who I was and where I was from 



217 

and where I was going, and fifty idle questions 
besides, which he was in the habit of asking 
strangers, and Bailes knew Ickes's propensi- 
ties and told them to me, and said that he 
would introduce me to him, under a fictitious 
name, and that I then must humor the joke; I 
seen the web laid by Bailes to hoax old Ickes^ 
and I began to prapare accordingly. In about 
five minutes, sure enough who came across the 
street but old Mr. Ickes, leaning on his walk- 
ing cane, he came into the bar-room, the place 
where I was, and began his interrogatory as 
Bailes had anticipated by asking me how 1 did, 
are you, continued he, travelling; by this time, 
being at a happy juncture of our affairs, Bailes 
he came in, I addressed myself to Bailes if he 
would take a drink of something; he said he 
did not care, I called for some brandy and Bai- 
les and myself we took a drink of brandy. Mr. 
Ickes he called Caleb to one end of the bar- 
room and asked him in Dutch w4io I was, Mr. 
Bailes told him that I was a gentleman from 
Buff'alo. Mr. Ickes began on Bailes just as 
he, Bailes, washed it, by signifying a wish to 
be introduced to me so that he could learn from 
me if I knew his son or not, who was captain 
18 



218 

of a company of Militia men, in the service 
of the United States, stationed at Buffalo, 
Mr. Bailes he brought Mr. Ikes up before me 
and said to me Mr. Irvine, I'll make you ac- 
quainted with Mr. Ickes. Mr. Ickes, said I 
how do you do. He waived all farther cere- 
mony being extremely anxious to hear from 
Buffalo, he asked me in nearly half Dutch and 
half English, if I came from Buffalo, I told him 
I was just from it, he then asked how times 
was at Buffalo, I told him to excite him the 
more that times there was very hard — he ask- 
ed me in what respect — I told him that a great 
many of the men were dying with the camp- 
fever, and my object was to go on to the city 
of Washington to give the intelligence to the- 
heads of Department to get our quarters chan- 
ged for a healthier place, he said he supposed 
that I scarcely ever was along with the army,. 
I told him I was very seldom with them, that 
my business principally was buying cattle, 
that sometimes I went as far as a hundred miles 
from the army to procure a sufficient quantity 
of cattle for them — he said he supposed I got 
good wages for my office — I told him I got 
eighty dollars a month, and found in a horse, 



219 

Slc, he alio wed that 1 had reason to be glad 
that the war should last a good while, I told 
him I should not be grieved if it would last 
my life time. He then asked me if 1 had ever 
been in any of the battles, to which 1 answer- 
ed him that I had not, my not having any oc- 
casion to fight, my whole business was to pro- 
cure provisions. He asked me if I had any ac- 
quaintance with any of the captains who were 
out at the lines, this was the hoax, I told him 
I had, and was the bearer of a list of all the 
names of those who were wounded — he then 
asked me if I knew a certain captain Ickes, I 
told him I did, and added that captain Ikes had 
either a leg or an arm shot off, and did not re- 
collect which of the two limbs he had lost. — 
This piece of intelligence brought the old man 
to shedding tears, and his sympathy was arous- 
ed, he pitied him, and yet allowed withall that 
he knew that captain Ikes was a soldier; he al- 
lowed that the rascally English ought all to be 
killed. He began to inquire if there was any 
danger of death among the officers who were 
wounded, I told him it was thought not, that 
if care was taken, that they were all convales- 
cing. He asked me when I was con[iing back 



220 

again I allowed myself a month's time, when 
should be able to transact my business, I should 
then return, he wished me on my return to 
call, saying he wanted to write by me to his 
son, I told him that I dare not carry any let- 
ters for any person as I was doing business 
for government. He asked Bailes and myself 
to take some brandy. After a while I mount- 
ed horse and put out for Hanover, and when 
I came to Hanover, being then at home for a 
day or two, a gentleman from Liberty, iu 
Frederick County, Maryland, came to my 
house and told me he had lost a negro man, 
who had ran away from him, and he had been 
informed that I had the knack of apprehending 
fugitives of that class, he gave me a handbill 
describing his black man, and a reward of fif- 
ty dollars to any person who would apprehend 
him and lodge him in a jail, or deliver him to 
the boss so that he would get his negro again. 
He wished me to take horse and immediately 
pursue him, I told him if he would give me 
five dollars I would pursue him two days, and 
if I overtook him and apprehend liim I should 
then charge him the reward, and if I did not 
succeed in overtaking him, that the five dol- 



221 

lars should be my fee for my two days service; 
he acquiesced in my proposition, he gave me 
the five dollars, and the next morning I got on 
my horse and went in pursuit after the runa- 
way, and rode that day until about the middle 
of the afteruoon in the direction of York in 
Paradise township, I became very hungry, j 
called at a house and asked the man if I could 
get something to eat and my horse fed, and add- 
ed that I would pay him lor it, he said yes, 
that he could feed me and my horse. I dis- 
mounted and we took my horse to the barn to 
feed him, and as we were to wait awhile until 
my dinner should be ready, he said he was 
making mortar, and to suit the action to the 
word he went to the mortar bed and I went 
along with him, and while he was at work at 
the mortar I asked him if he was building, he 
said that he had a chimney to build and a room 
to plaster. I then went into the house and the 
plasterers were at work to see how things 
were, after I came out I asked mine host how 
long the plasterers had been at work at the 
room, they were at the first coating, he told 
me they were at it two weeks, I then asked 
him what he gave them for doing it, he said he 
18* 



222 
paid them a dollar a day. I then told him that 
I knew a man that could finish it in two hours, 
yes said he, I would give him five dollars if he 
were there to do it, as he was quite sick and 
tired out with the hands he had at work, and 
added that he also knew a big Irishman who 
lived in the town of Hanover that could do the 
whole job in one day, to which I observed that 
I did not know any thing of him, 1 then told 
him if he would give me five dollars, provided 
the plasterers were agreed that I would do it 
in two hours, he said that I could not possi- 
bly do it in that time, by way of surprise I 
told him if the men would give me their tools, 
and if I did not finish it in the time by me lim- 
ited that I would do the work free from charge, 
but if I done it in the two hours he was to pay 
me the stipulated sum, he said that he would 
give me the five dollars, if I done it I told him I 
would upon condition, if he would keep me 
in stuff, he also agreed to do that, he allowed 
that they all hands could keep me a going. I 
then asked the men if they would allow me to 
put on the ceiling in that room, they said yes, 
with a great deal of cheer, and confessed that 
they did not understand the business. So then 
all things being fairly understood amongst us 



223 
and the hands, I then hauled off my coat and 
began to get ready to work, and the two plas- 
terers and mine host were kept very busy in 
carrying and tempering mortar for me during 
the time I was putting on the ceiling, as no 
time was allowed for chat, and in one and a 
half hours I was done with the whole, gimbang. 
One of the plasterers said he had often heard 
of that Irishman at Hanover, who was such a 
celebrated plasterer, but he allowed that the 
Irishman was no touch to me. The owner of 
the house asked me where I resided, J told 
him I lived in Baltimore some time, well know- 
ing that they alluded to me all the while, but 
they did not know that I was the Big Irish- 
man all the while, and I did not wish them to 
know that fact, one of them said that if he 
could work like me that he would not work at 
it long. We all washed ourselves and went 
into the mansion house, the man of the house 
paid me the five dollars, I asked him how much 
he charged me for my dinner and for feeding 
my horse, he said that he would charge me 
nothing for that. He told his men that Apple- 
man talked so much about the big Irishman in 
Hanover, he allowed that I could plaster round 



2U 

him. I then asked the two plasterers how 
long they allowed it would take them to finish 
their job, they said that they did not know, 
and being ashamed of tlieir work they allowed 
that they would have nothing more to do with 
it; they in turn asked me how long it would 
take me to finish such a job, I told them that I 
could do it in about half a day. I told them 
that it was time for me to be moving, as I was 
in pursuit of a black man who had run away 
from his master, I asked them if they had seen 
or heard of any black man passing through 
that part of the country, they said they had 
neither seen or heard of any. I then mounted 
my horse, bade them a good bye, and went on 
to Little York that evening, and put up at a 
tavern in York, kept by Harry Shafer, it was 
at the time of the last war, the militia of York 
County that had been called into the service 
were encamped on the commons, waiting for 
marching orders; the next morning I went to 
see the troops and when inside of the guards, 
I seen an old man inside of the lines who had 
a waggon load of onions, cabbage and potatoes, 
the onions were strung on long bunches; by 
this time I got along side of the wagon, and 



225 

while there, four or five soldiers came along 
that way, one of the soldiers asked the old man 
how he sold his onions, he said twenty-five 
cents a hunch, the soldier allowed them to be 
too dear at that price, and ofiered the old man 
a dollar for five bunches, the old man he pick- 
ed him out five bunches, and the soldier he 
took them from him and laid them on the 
ground and turned himself towards the old man 
and in the act of getting out the money to pay 
for the onions the old man observed to him, 
that one of the hands that was with him had ta- 
ken his onions and was running away with 
them as hard as he could, and the one that 
was to pay for them he ran after the thief to 
overtake him, as hard as he could, and the pur- 
suer did not overtake the pursued, and the old 
man laughed at the performance ready to split 
his sides, and by the bye the soldiers forgot to 
come back to pay for the onions, which was 
a complete bite, and he only seen the hoax 
when it was too late, and no doubt the sol- 
diers in their turn laughed as hearty at the old 
man as he did at them while they were carry- 
ing away his onions. After I had witnessed 
the above related performance I went to tlie 



226 

town to my host, Mr. Harry Shafer, I asked 
after a man of the name of Stoutzenberger, an 
officer of the peace, and when I found Stout- 
zenberger I told him that I was after a runa- 
way, I showed him my handbill he said he 
seen nothing of him, and added that he had in 
his possession some handbills from Baltimore, 
and believed that they were in Columbia, and 
said that if I would go along with him we 
would go there and see. 

I told him I did not care, and off we 
started for Columbia, and put up with Mr. 
Livergood'g for that night; we asked the 
hostler if he knew of any negro houses 
about there; he told us that there was one 
in one of the back alleys in which the ne- 
groes danced almost ever> night, and said 
that he could find out in a few minutes if 
they would have a dance there that night; 
we told him he should find out for us thai 
fact; and we went into the house and called 
for supper, and when we had supped, over 
we went into the stable again; he, the host- 
ler told us, that there was a negro dance 
down the river, a short distance from town- 
We told the hostler that we wuuld give him 



227 

a half a dollar if he would go along with us 
to the house: he said he would, if we would 
say nothing to the landlord; we agreed we 
would keep dark. We went there and took 
a look at them dancing, and Stoutzenber- 
ger, he seen one of the lads he was in pur- 
suit of; then came the rub hovv^ to get him 
out. We were looking out, and asked the 
hostler, if he knew a certain negro whom 
we pointed out to him; he said he knew 
him very well, that he lived at Mr.' Wright's 
cutting wood for him on the bank of the 
river. After we had received this piece of 
intelligence, we went home to our lodg- 
ings, and came to a definite conclusion 
how we would take the lad in the morn- 
ing. We got up and ordered the hostler to 
give our horses a gallon of oats a piece; 
we then got our breakfast; then we told the 
landlord our business, and requested him 
to let the hostler take our horses about a 
half a mile from town. He said that he 
would, if we would keep it a secret. We 
promised we would, and enjoined on him 
to keep our business a secret; he assured 
us that there was no danger of his divulging 



228 
oup business. We told the hostler to take 
our horses and ride them as far as the old 
road, and wait lor us there until we came. 
We went up the river, and at length we 
heard our lad chopping* wood. I staid be- 
hiiid, and in concealment, and Stoutzen- 
berger he went to where he, the negro, 
was chopping wood; and he told him that 
he would give a half a dollar if he would 
come down to the river and help him off 
with his boat, that it was fast. The negro 
he came to help us off with out boat, and 
we took him into our special custody, and 
told him that he was our prisoner, and told 
him that if he said one word, that we would 
blow him through. We took him up the 
river a piece, and thence through the coun- 
try to the old road, and we took him on to 
the city of Lancaster before a justice of 
the peace, and had him committed to jail. 
We were called upon to give security for 
four days. We entered the required secu- 
rity, and went to the stage office and wrote 
on to the fellow's master in Baltimore im- 
mediately, informing him of the apprehen- 
sion of his negro man, and to come on 
immediately to prove and identify the black 



229 

man whom we had arrested to be his pro- 
perty. 

He came on the third night and released 
us and our security, by entering the jaij 
with his proof required of him, and identi- 
fied the lad to be his slave, and took him 
out of jail, and from the jail he took him to 
Mr. Slaymaker's tavern, and put on him a 
pair of hand-cuffs; paid us the reward and 
all our expenses, and hoisted of!' the lad 
for Baltimore. 

After the man had gone, we also started 
off, and put out for home, each of ns hav- 
ing in our pockets an equal share of the 
reward, which was one hundred dollars — 
so there ended that performance, and I 
then put out for Hanover, and did not hear 
or see any thing of the negro who I had 
started especially for, when I left Hanover, 
In the mean time I undertook a very large 
job of plastering for the next season near 
Moytown. 

I laid on my oars, having no particular 
employ for several days, and one night 
while I had nothing to do, I in the evening 
got into company with several jolly fellows- 

19 



230 

We sat (Iowa at the tavern of Mr. John 
Aniich in Hanover, to take a few games 
at cards for a little sport. VV^hile I was in- 
dulging myself in the dissolute amusement, 
Mr. Jacob Eichelberger sent his man Fri- 
day down to tell me, that a gentleman had 
called at his house who had a wish to see 
me. I told liis man as soon as our game 
was lip, I would call up and see the gen- 
tleman; and, when our game was finished 
according to promise, 1 called up at Mr» 
Jacob Eichelberger's tavern, to wait upon 
the gentleman who had sent for me. He 
told me, that he had lost his negro man, 
Congo, and said, that if I would get him, 
the negro for him, that he would give me 
fifty dollars; he gave me a hand-bill de- 
scribing his man Congo; and after a mo- 
ment's reflection, 1 knew where Congo 
was harbored. I then went back to Mr, 
John Amich's tavern to see a comrade of 
mine, in whom I had a great deal of confi- 
dence, a certain Mr. Wm. Albright, to 
whom I shewed the hand-bill I had got, 
and told Mr. Albright that I knew where the 
negro was, and got his consent to assist 
me in apprehending negro Congo, and off 



231 

we started for Mr. Jacob Hoffman's tavern 
on the road leading" to Abbotstown, at the 
foot of the Pi;Teon Hills, where negro Con- 
go had been hired to haul stones for a barn 
tliat Mr. Holhnan was about building. It 
v/as about ten o'clock at night, when Mr. 
A'ibright and myself came to Mr. Hoffman's, 
and they all had retired to rest for the 
night. We rapped at the door loud and 
strong, at length Mr. Hoffman got up, and 
I pretended to be warmed with a little 
steam. Mr. Hoffman, inquired where we 
had been; we told him, that we were at 
Abbotstown, and our horses had broken 
loose and Jiere we were, and on our way 
home. He advised us to take bed and stay 
all night, and go home in the morning-. I 
told my landlord, tr at if my comrade was 
agreed to stay, that I did not care to stay 
myself Mr. Hoffman gave us a candle? 
and told us to go into the ball-room, and 
take bed in that room, the carpenters and 
all hands were quartered that were em- 
ployed about the building. We went up 
into the ball-room as Mr. Hoffman had di- 
rected us. The boss carpenter was awake 
when we entered the room; he asked us 



232 

what's broke, said he. I told him that we 
were on a sort of a Jerry, and wished to 
get a bed for that night if we could. He 
said there was a vacant bed in the far end 
of the room; and I pretended to carry my 
cantico so far as to induce the hands to be- 
lieve that I was really in a spree. I said, I 
must see all hands first, and by this time 
they were all awake, and I took the candle 
in my hand and began a general inspection 
of the hands, and got to the lower end of 
the room, in a bed, and under the feather 
bed lay snug and comfortable negro Congo. 
I said, ho ho my lad to Congo, are you here. 
The boss carpenter said to me, the negro 
was very tired, that he had worked hard 
that day, I should let him rest. I said he 
is the very lad that I wanted. He told me 
that I had no business with the ne^iro, and 
if I did not go to bed he would call Hotf- 
man up. I told him that I did not care how 
soon he would call up Hoffman, that the 
negro I must have. I pulled the bed from 
off the negro and ordered him to get up, 
and if he did not rise 1 would exercise v^im 
with a club, to which he bluntly repHed^ 
that he would not get up. By this time 



233 

Mr. Hoffman was amongst us, and asked 
me what the devil I wanted with the negro* 
I told Hoffman that he belono-ed to me, and 
I shewed Hoffman the hand-bill describing 
Congo. AAer he had read it, he being sa- 
tisfied that Congo was the very fellow who 
was described in the hand-bill, he told me 
that I might do with him just as I pleased, 
that he had nothing more to say to him, or 
for him. Mr. Hoffman went down stairs 
and w^ent to his bed. I then peremptorily 
ordered the negro to get up the second 
time, and he again refused to obey my 
mandate; I laid hands on him and hauled 
him out of bed, and the boss carpenter 
besrsred me not to abuse the neGrro. I told 
him, that I was not quite so tipsey as he 
imagined I was, I would use him just as I 
pleased. In putting on his pantaloons, the 
black rascal drew upon me a jack-knife; 
at the exhibition of his knife, I up fist and 
knocked him down, and took his knife from 
him, for fear of small accidents, and tied 
him with a rope. The boss carpenter 
swore, that if he knew that, that I should 
not have had the negro. I told him, I knew 

that. I then made the negro go down stairs 
19* 



234 

into the bar-room; he asked me to give him 
a dram before we started. I told Mr. Hoff- 
man to let me have a half pint of whiskey; 
he told me to go to the bar and get it. I 
got the whiskey, and lold the negro to lean 
back his head and I poured it down his 
throat. I paid Hoffman for the whiskey, 
and started Congo for Hanover. On the 
road, he asked me if it was his old or his 
young master that was at Hanover. I told 
him he was a young man; he then said he did 
not care, as he did not fear his young mas- 
ter as much as he would the old man. I 
then asked him from what reasons he ran 
away; he began his reason, that he used 
to drive the team, and that they charged 
him with stealing salt. 

We arrived in the town of Hanover 
about two o'clock in the morning with ne- 
gro Congo. Just before we came to Mr, 
Eichelberger's, the house where his mas- 
tor was, he begged me to untie him, that 
he did not like to meet his master tied. I 
told him, that made no odds that it was 
night, and nobody seen him; I roused Mr* 
Eichelberger up, and requested him to 



235 

awaken his guest, and inform him that I 
had his negro. Mr. Eichelberger who is 
a perfect gentleman in every respect, and 
one of the laziest men in York county, he 
was too lazy to rise and let his guest know 
that I had his negro; and told me to take 
him to my house and keep him till the next 
morning; thinking no doubt to shab me off 
in that way. But the owner of the negro 
heard us, and he demanded a candle, and 
Mr. Eichelberger at last was forced to get 
up, contrary to his wishes. I took the ne- 
gro into the bar-room, and by this time the 
master was there. I told him that I be- 
lieved I had got him his man. He held 
the candle close to the negro's face, and 
interrogated him saying, "Well, Congo, is 
this you," to which Congo answered, yes, 
sir. He asked the negro how he had 
been; he told him very well. He then ask- 
ed him if he had got all his business ar- 
ranged in Pennsylvania; Congo allowed he 
had — to which the master expressed a sa- 
tisfaction; saying to me, I wish you to se- 
cure him until morning, that he was a 
smart, keen, shrewd fellow, that for his 



236 
part he could do nothing with him. I then 
took a chain and chained him to the stovcy 
made a good fire into the stove, and left 
him, and I went home — when morning 
came, I went up to Mr. Eichelberger's ta- 
vern, about seven o'clock in the morning, 
and found master and servant in the bar- 
room. His master bade me good morning^ 
and asked me it I would take some bitters. 
I told him I had no objections, so we took 
a horn together, and he asked me where 
he could get a pair of hand-cuffs made. I 
told him he could get a pair of hand-cuffs 
made at Hensy Mauser's blacksmith shop. 
We started off together to the shop, and 
on the road to the shop, I asked him where 
he lived. He told me he lived in Frede- 
rick county, Maryland, near Liberty town; 
so we got our irons made, and fixed them 
on him, went back to Mr. Eichelberger's 
tavern; he paid me the fifty dollars, and I 
shared the reward with my comrade Wm. 
Albright, and put out home, and the Fre- 
derick county man and Congo they put out 
for their home. 

The time of year was arrived when me- 



237 

chanics of my profession are obliged to lay 
upon their oars. I was spending my time 
in all sorts o^ fashions. One evening I 
happened to go to the house of Henry Bear 
who kept a public house in Hanover; and 
while there, an old collier of the name of 
Fetzer, he was in the tavern pretty well 
how-come-you-so. Fetzer had a spang 
new coat on, what folks now a days at a 
fair estimate would term, a long tail'd blue, 
and had in his coat pockets a parcel of 
ginger-cakes. I got some beer, and got 
the landlord to enter into a conversation 
with the old collier, and while the collier 
and Mr. Bear were in the height of their 
conversation, I took up the beer and pour- 
ed it into old Felzer's pockets among his 
ginger-cakes, and began to chafe the poc- 
kets pretty well; and it may be as easily 
imagined, as described, what the cakes 
looked like without much strain of imagi- 
nation. Fetzer he let go the landlord, and 
he began on me, by asking if I was the big 
plasterer. I told him I was; he then said 
that he knew me dis long while ago. I 
told him, inasmuch as we knew one ano- 



238 
ther so well, that we ought to drink toge- 
ther; that I would buy a quart of beer, if 
he would buy one too; to my proposition he 
was agreed on the spot; so he called for a 
quart of beer, we drank that; and I called 
for another, and drank that too; and I ob- 
served, tliat I snielled somewhat a sort of 
a disagreeable smell; the rest of the com- 
pany they chimed in whh me to heighten 
the sport, that they smelled it too; and the 
landlord said, that something was not right 
amongst us. I made a proposition that all 
hands should be inspected, and the guilty 
one should pay a gallon of beer for his 
misconduct, to which Fetzer was also 
agreed. A general search was then uisti- 
tuted, and nothing was found — we all 
agreed that it was too delicate a subject 
for one man to feel every man's pockets in 
the company, that every man should have 
tlie freedom to search his own pockets, 
and by that, every man in company put 
his hand into his pocket, and eld Fetzer 
he had forgot his ghiger-cakes, and not 
knowing that I had poured beer into his 
pocket and chafed them well together; and 



239 

it is well Ivnovvn to every body the nature 
and tenacity of ginger-bread and its gene- 
ral appearance. When all hands were 
drawn out of the respective pockets into 
which they had been thrust, the ginger- 
bread hung to Fitzer's hand like wax, his 
fingers were stifffull of the stuff, and his feel- 
ings were very much hurt at his dilemma. 
The whole company burst out in a roar of 
laughter, that lasted at least fifteen minutes 
without any kind of abatement, and as loud 
as any I ever heard, which terribly morti- 
fied our old collitr. After the burst of 
laughter was over, we washed his hand 
and cut out the pockets out of his coat; he 
immediately attached all the blame to me, 
and the more I tried to convince him he 
was in a mistake, the closer he laid the 
charge to my door. I then by way of offset 
threatened_,to have the pocket brought in 
and examined to see what was in it. I 
told the hostler to go and bring in the poc- 
kets, and that if I was guilty, that I would 
pay the beer. I then asked the old collier, 
if any thing was in his pocket before he 
came into the house. He said, that he had 



240 

nothing in them before he came into the 
house. I said if that was true, that I would 
pay for the beer; so then the pockets were 
produced and examined, and their contents 
were declared to be ginger-cakes; when 
the ginger-cakes were named to him, he 
recollected that he had bought six and a 
fourth cents worth before he came to the 
tavern. He was convinced in his own 
mind that he had fost the bet, and was 
agreed to pay for the gallon of beer; to 
which I objected, and told him that he 
should pay only for the one half, that I 
would pay the other half, by way of mak- 
ing good friends with the old lad. He, after 
the beer was drank, he set awhile talking, 
and at last he called for his horse to go 
home. The horse was brought out and 
hitched to the sign-post; the night was very 
dark; I slipped out while he was talking to 
Mr. Bear, and turned the saddle hindside 
foremost, and slipped the bridle-bit out of 
the horse's mouth, and then went into the 
house again and sat down by the stove. 
He in the conversation with Mr. Bear, his 
landlord, forgot to pay bis bill which occur- 
red to him; he hauled out his money purse^ 



241 

paid his bill to Mr. Bear, and said, *'WelI, 
I must go home," and out he went, got 
hold of the bridle reins, threw them over 
the horses head and mounted his old bay 
horse. The lamp that hung at the sign- 
post threw light on the subject, and the 
saddle being turned, the old lellow pretty 
well cocked, he thought that things were 
not in their proper fixture — he addressed 
himself to the landlord, "Bear, des is net 
my saddel, er is zu verdamtd braed forne," 
i. e. Bear this is not my saddle, it is too d — d 
broad before. The landlord responded, O 
yes, I think it is your saddle; the old col- 
lier swore he would be d d if it was his 

saddle, and dismounted his rosinante. I 
placed the saddle at it ought to be, and we 
allowed that the hosder had made a mis- 
take about the saddle — after the saddle 
had been planted right, the old fellow got 
a straddle of his pony the second time; he 
generally had a large cane with him; he 
with his cane gave his old horse a clue 
into his ribs, bade us all good night. 

The bit being out of the horses mouth, as 
he gave him the clue with his cane he reined 
20 



242 

him up by the bridle, gave a good smart pull 
with the bridle, and off started the old pony, 
took round the corner of Mr. Bear's house 
and run into the shed, the place where he 
had been hitched, as hard as he could lick, 
the old fellow, when he found himself safely 
moored in the shed, and felt sensible where he 
was, he addressed himself in the German lan- 
guage to his horse thus "du hist ein Narr, und 
bleibast ein narr, so langed as du lebest, die 
verdamter narr (ie. You are a fool, and you 
will remain a fool as long as you live, you 
damned fool) and at the last sentence he raised 
up his cane and hit the old pony a hell of a 
pelt across his head, we all followed the old 
man and heard and seen the performance which 
afforded us a good deal of amazement, I ap- 
proached him and asked him what was the 
matter, he said he did not know what the 
DEVIL had got into the horse, that be could 
not get him out of the shed, I then proffered 
my services to him to lead out his horse for 
him, I took the pony and led him into the street 
and gave him a fair start, the horse he started 
off up street, and ran towards the Diamond of 
the town, and in the Diamond or rather on the 



243 

opposite side of it was a Brewery, and the 
road which led to it was through a gate which 
was open, the pony made for the Brewery 
yard, and run in among a parcel of beer bar- 
rels, the dogs in the yard got after him, he hal- 
lowed murder in Dutch, the brewer, he came 
out and asked who was there, the old collier 
he answered him by saying it is me; by this 
time the brewer he had got his lantern to see 
who it was, as he could not learn from his an- 
swer he had given him; after he seen that it was 
old Fetzer, he then knew him, lie got a hold 
of his horse and led him out on the street to 
give him a fresh and a fair start, then I made 
my appearance (being concealed all the while 
till then) I said to him well Fetzer, are you not 
out of town yet; he said no, he was not out of 
town yet, and he did not know when he would 
get out, that his damned horse was fairly cra- 
zy, I felt the horse to see if the bit was yet out 
of his mouth and found it was, I let him go 
again, and told him to take another start, he 
did so and thought he was fairly started for 
home, and instead of going down York street 
in Hanover, the road leading to Fetzer'shome, 
the pony he ran out the Abbotstown road to 
a tavern kept in the suburbs of the town, by a 



244 

Mr. Henry Michael, and there he run into the 
shed, the old fellow found himself once more 
in a shed which terribly offended the old col- 
lier, he began to exercise his pony vvilli his 
cane, and in raising up his cane he disturbed 
a parcel of chickens that had roosted there, 
they began to flutter and caw-caw, and the old 
fellow swearing at his horse at a round rate; 
by this time we were all there to see and hear 
the sport. Mr. Henry Michael he was awak- 
ened by the furss the chickens kept, he got 
up and heard the rumpus in the shed, he asked 
what was the matter, old Fetzer said to him 
to go to hell, as he was very much enraged at 
his pony's performance. Mr. Michael told him 
if he-did not tell him his name that he would 
shoot him, he told him he might shoot and be 
damned, that his name was Fetzer, he then got 
his lantern, got old Fetzer out of the shed, put 
up his horse, took the old fellow into the house 
to tarry there for the balance of the night, as 
he couldnot get his horse home, and it was near- 
ly day when we brought the spree to a close, 
we put out home. 

The next matter that presented itself to me 
worth relating was, one day I was in the tavern 



245 

of Mr. John Bart, an old fellow who lived at 
or near the Pigeon Hills, accompanied by his 
daughter, and her intended husband came into 
the tavern for the purpose of a matrimonial 
spree, he addressed himself to me and asked 
me if I was the big plasterer, I told him 1 was 
the man, he said that he had often seen me, and 
invited me to take a drink with him, I went up 
to the bar and took a drink with him, he then 
began to tell me that they came to town for the 
purpose of getting Suse married to that man, 
pointing to her intended husband, and he was 
a sweet looking lark, the old fellow he made 
no secret of its being a case of necessity, aS 
Suse had been fixed for slow travelling. The 
old fellow he led me farther into his secrets, he 
told me that a dollar and a quarter was all the 
money the trio had in the world, he inquired 
of me where I thought that they could get them 
married the cheapest, I told him O yes I could 
tell them that, and then told the old fellow by 
way of sport how I fixed the Minister when I 
got married, and told him that if he would 
come back to Bart's tavern and spend the 
balance of the money they would have left, 
I would let him into the secret, he as well as 
20* 



24G 

the balance of the trio was asoapstick, he said 
that he would spend the remainder of the mo- 
ney cheerfully if I would put him on a way to 
save some, so then the bargain was struck, and 
I got anew half cent enveloped in two pieces 
of paper and directed the old fellow to go to 
Parson Meltzheimer and ask him to marrv 
them, and when the whole ceremony was over, 
and not before, he should give him the money 
wrapped up, which direction the old fellow 
kept tally agreeable to promise and direction, 
the Hymenial knot was tied and the Parson 
when his fee was handed to him he thanked 
him for it, and he came back to the tavern 
chuck full of it, and a dollar and a quarter in 
pocket, so then came the rub, the dollar and a 
quarter was all spent in wine, brandy and 
cakes, while that lasted we lived jam, and ne- 
ver gave it up until the money was all spent, 
and all hands pretty glad. In a day or two af- 
ter the wedding was over Parson Meltzheirner 
had turned his horse out into his lot to let the 
horse exercise himself, he was at the head of 
his lot, I went up through my lot which was 
adjoining Parson Meltzheimer's lot, and asked 
him if he had married a couple a few days 



247 

ago, he said he had, with a small laugh on his 
countenance, he asked me if I knew them, I 
told his reverence I did not, that I only had 
seen them. I made a supposition to him that he 
had been well paid by them for his service, he 
replied that he had not been paid so very well, 
and allowed that I had the regulating of the 
fee, 1 told him I had been asked where I al- 
lowed that they could get the job done the 
cheapest and I allowed that it could not be done 
cheaper any where, he allowed in conclusion 
of our confab that the poor creature wanted all 
the money he had, and I allowed so too. The 
next was a hoggish cast of performance as it 
was in my hog killing time, our hero went the 
whole hog, tail and all, John Barts was my 
place of general rendezvous for sport, I was 
setting in his tavern one afternoon, there was 
from the Pigeon Hill country a man who had 
about three sheets in the wind, he had a won- 
derful gift of the gab, and I thought I had been 
peculiarly blest in that way, I soon found by 
experience that I was far behind the lad in 
that particular and to make up on my part, 
when he got too fast for me I held in my hand 
a small switch which I occasionally drew a- 



248 

cross his mouth when it ran too fast for me, 
and he then would try to catch it, we kept 
on that piece of sport until at length the end 
o f my switch took my old fellow in his eye, 
the eye begran to weep water pretty freely, 
being smartly wounded, some of the wags that 
were in the room, full of fun and presum- 
ing that they could work upon the fellow's 
feelings, they asserted that I had jobbed the 
fellow's eye out, and kept up the delusion so 
well, that the fellow began to believe il him- 
self that his eye was really knocked out, they 
to heighten the sport with the fellow began to 
express vindictive feelings towards me for the 
injury done him, saying if they were him that 
they would have me taken up, I told them they 
need not apprehend me that I was willing to 
do any thing that was right, and added that I 
would send for a Doctor and hear what he 
would say, by this time they had worked so 
far upon the poor devil's feelings that he cried, 
and the water trickled down his cheeks as fast 
as rain, and they allowed that 1 should be very 
quick in my sending for the Doctor, that the 
aqueous humor of the eye would all be de- 
stroyed; J tiien told my companions and feigned 



249 

competitors that here was the Doctor, and we 
took him and stretched him out on the bar- 
room table, and the examination then commen- 
ced, the Doctor declared the eye defunct, and 
said that he must put in a new one, and John 
Bart was butchering hog's that day, I went into 
his yard and got a hog's eye, went into the 
house and gave it to the Doctor, and he fitted 
the hogs eye and placed it right to the place 
where an eye ought to be and tied it up with a 
handkerchief; after they had been matched by 
the Doctor he expressed a good deal of self 
complaisant satisfaction at the idea that the 
eyes matched so well as it was the only one 
that he now had left, he began to feel lor his 
Wife and children, he allowed that it would af- 
ford him a world of pleasure if he could only 
see them once again. They then told him that 
I was in the habit of fooling with every body, 
and at last had the misfortune to put his eye 
out for him, that if they were him that they 
would go down to Squire Shultz and they would 
sue me, the Doctor (Lauman) told him he 
would give him the bill for fixing a new eye 
into his head, which he allowed should be fifty 
dollars in case he would sue me, and I had to 



250 

pay for it, and if he had to pay for it himself 
he would charge him twenty dollars only. So 
then the pretended Doctor furnished the bill, 
and got him started to go to Squire Shultz, be- 
fore we got him to the Sqoire's shop, he had 
got the whole town into an uproar, every man, 
wo wan and child within the hearinarof his voice 
.were at their doors and windovvs to see and 
liear him for he kept on incessantly hallowing 
and. bawling out "Herr Jesus my aug" i — e oh 
Loji-d Jesus, my eye, it took the jockey nearly 
.one. hour io get from Mr. Bart's tavern to the 
, Squire's shop, for by turns he would forget 
hinriself and he would shut the wrong eye, and 
tfen he would fix himself in the attitude of some 
awk\yard clown, playing hlind man's buff, 
groping his way and getting the help of some 
mischievous boys to help him along on the road 
toder Schultz, as he said, at length he came to 
the Squire's shop, surrounded by a mob of 
boys, the appearance of which made the 
Squire's dander raise, he addressed our hero 
pretty gruffly what he wanted, he told Squire 
Schultz in as pitiful manner as he possibly could 
that ^'der gross plasterer hat mir my aug he- 
raus geschlagne" and was going to show the 



251 

Squire, that what he said was stubborn 
facts; he raised up the handkerchief and' 
bandaging-, and as he disturbed thetti, out 
fell the hog's eye on the pavement; that 
performance satisfied the Squire, that the 
whole mess was a hoax; he shut the door 
on the lellow and went into the house, and 
themobofbojs that were around hini, 
they got alarmed at the dropping of thfe' 
hog's eye on the pavement, they all put 
out, and our hero stood on the pavemerit" 
all alone. He cried most bitterly when h^ 
seen the cold charity of the world shower- 
ed on him so profusely, he picked up his 
hog's eye and went back again to Joha, 
Bart's tavern. When he came to the ta-^ 
vern, we put his eye to itsi place a second' 
time, and suggested to him the idea of his 
going to bed; he consented to go -to b^d 
and we landed him safely in bed; the nej^t* 
morning his eyes were well enough, he put 
out home, and the whole of, it w{iis.h.oggish,, 
and so ended the hog eye spree. , : ,,. 

The next affair was a rouger \v|}uQhha,p,t, 
pened in Gettysburg, between,,Dr. jV^nr^. 
pike and myself, in company of several of 



252 

the most worthy and respectable citizens 
of that borough, amongst which were 
Messrs. Barney Gilbert, Lewis Shaver, 
and Mr. Welsh and others. This Dr. Van- 
pike was a dandy in the fallest sense of the 
word; his manners, together with his habits, 
rendered him a complete nuisance in every 
decent man's opinion; as he was fond of 
gin, he kept a supply of that article con- 
stantly in a flask about him, to use it when 
he wanted a horn. The landlord, Mr. B..^ 
Gilbert gave me an introduction to Dr. Van* 
pike, and after the usual ceremonies of an 
introduction were over, the doctor, who 
wanted to blow off"some of the exquisite — 
he asked me if I understood the science of 
fencing with the broad sword. He blowed 
a puff or two as to his acquirements in the 
science. Barney Gilbert told me, that the 
doctor kept his gin bottle in his coatee poc- 
ket, that I should accept his challenge and 
break the bottle of the doctor; he said that 
if I succeeded in breaking it, he would treat 
me to a bottle of wine. So then after the 
doctor had blown off the steam for his broad 
sword acquirements, I told him I under- 



253 

stood the broad-sword exercise mvself, and 
thought that I was no slouch at it; the doc- 
tor understood that the challenge was ac- 
cepted; he was provided with a cane and 
ready for action. I asked B. Gilbert if he 
could supply me with a cane. He said 
there was canes in the bar, that I should 
go into the bar and pick a suitable one for 
myself; so 1 stepped into the bar and got ix 
common walking cane, and came back to 
the room in which our doctor and the rest 
of the company was. The spectators m^ ' • 
room for us two combatants at the ' ** 
sword. The doctor he gave rri^ oroacl- 
of command, "make ready" -the word 
answered, "ready." He —to which I 
figure one; at the wor^^ ' ^^f' «^^^' ^^^ 
up cane and hit my , ^ ^^^ ^^^^^ ^"^' ^ 
the gin bottle, a^ , ^^"^^'^ ^ P^^^ ^^^^^^ «^ 
for him; whe- ^^'^, '"^f^^"^ .^^^ ^^"^^^^^ 

broke he '^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^ 

^ Y said that I knew nothing at all 

.road-sword exercise. I told him I 

^^ ght I did know a goo<J. deal about it,. 

.at I drew blood the very first cut; which 

remark raised a tremendous laughter at 

the expense of the doctor's feelings. He 

21 



264 

allowed that I knew nothing at all about 
it, or I would not have struck so low; to 
which I answered, that I knew that his 
heart laid pretty low, and concluded that 
I had bursted his boiler for him; here end- 
ed the broad-sword business; he got the 
bar-keeper to pick out the pieces of the 
bottle out of his pocket; we however drank 
friends, and the whole company were de- 
lighted at my dexterity at the business, and 
at my peculiar success and skill of manage- 
ment to get the whole victory so trium- 
phantly. 

We then went to bed and slept soundly 
for that night on our broad-sword business 
and the next morning then came the tug 
of war. Our doctor he arose and display- 
ed as much foppery as would have done 
the folks in the borough of Gettysburg for 
a month. He came outcap-a-pee with his 
ruffle shirt, parading about the house, like 
a peacock in the spring of the year; he, 
when I came into the bar-room to get my 
boots, was walking lo and fro in the room; 
when he seen me and I seen him, he had a 
glass of wine or gin standing on the stocks 



255 

ready to devour it, and an egg laying along 
side of it; he bade me a good morning; I 
responded; said he to me, I'll bet you a 
glass of bitters that you cannot tell what 
that is, pointing to the egg; I told him I'll 
bet you; I then went and laid hold of the 
egg^ broke it, and let it fall into his glass 
of hquor, and drank it (>fF, and then said 
to him — I believed it was an egg. He look- 
ed at me, and asked me, if I did not intend 
to retaliate, which expression tickled me 
so much, that I could hardly contain my- 
self, as he was guilty of murdering the 
king's English. I thanked him, and said 
that I did not wish another drop; he look- 
ed at me, and said to me, that from what 
he yet had seen of me, that I must tte a 
very impudent man; I aaked him, before I 
answered, if I had not the common right 
to think too; he said, certainly; then I an- 
swered him and said, I thought he was a 
very big fool, which caused another big 
laugh at my doctor's expense. To give the 
whole business the finishing blow, I began 
to complain of being very unwell; after I 
had made my complaint as long as I could, 



256 

he, as a doctor, asked me the nature of my 
complaint. I pretended to be totally unac- 
quainted with the technical phraseology of 
complaints, I gave him to understand that 
I was laboring under vcnery, and he made 
very light of it, and said that he could and 
would cure me for ten dollars. 1 told my 
doctor if he would cure me, that I would 
cheerfully pay him twenty dollars; so tlien 
he asked me to walk with him into his 
room for the purpose of seeing how the 
land laid, to which I objected upon the 
modest principles of human nature. He 
•made very light of the matter, and allowed 
it was nothing at all; still I refused to go 
.with him into his room, and suggested the 
idea to him to go with him to the stable to 
stand his examination, so down me and 
my doctor went into the stable for the pur- 
pose aforesaid, and he wished to see, and 
I cautioned him that I could not control the 
water by any means, so down he stooped 
to take a look, and 1 let him have a squirt 
pop into the eyes, into his face over his 
ruffle shirt, and bepissed him all over, that 
he could not see a single stiver; after this 



257 

dreadful accident had occurred to me, or 
say rather to the doctor; he allowed that 

I might be before he would do any 

thing for me again; and it offended Dr. 
Vanpike so much, that he was determined 
to see himself righted at common law; he 
went to one of the Judges of the Court, 
which then was in session, and complained 
of my mal-treatment towards him. The 
Judge told him that he knew nothing of the 
affair, and could not take cognizance 
thereof, that he should apply to an attor- 
ney who would conduct the affairs for him; 
when he had received at the hands of the 
Judge the poor consolation above stated, 
he allowed that there was no baJm in Gi- 
lead for him, so he just bundled up his 
duds and left the house. Whenever Bar- 
ney Gilbert sees me, this spree occurs to 
him, and has a hearty laugh at it. 

The next was a spree of a character 
with a friend of mine of much serious in- 
terest; it happened in the town of Hano- 
ver. My readers will come^to the same 
conclusion with myself, when I shall have 
related to them the circumstance: — My 
21* 



258 

friend he had the misfortune to get tipsey, 
and did not wish to expose himself in the 
condition in which he was in; he wished 
me to take him to a certain lady's house, 
in which he would be countenanced and 
allowed to get sober again, without any ap- 
prehension of being exposed; so we went 
to the house, it was late in the night, she 
had been in bed and soundly psleep. We 
went to the back door and found our way 
into the house and took possession of one 
of the back rooms of the house, and in 
grouping about in the dark lor a chair, I 
got my hand on a flax- hackle and hurt my 
fingers. I told my comrade that I had found 
a chair, that he should sit down until I 
should have found a bed, so down he sous- 
ed plump upon the hackle, when he got in 
contact with the flax-hackle and the parts 
I need not name; he sung out murder most 
horridly, which frightened our old lady; 
she got up to see who we were; to allay 
her fears, I told her who we were, and for 
what we came there; she then came into 
the room we had taken possession of with 
a candle — and my friend who had a light 



259 
colored pair of pantaloons on, he was all 
over blood from his heels up to the false 
seat of honor, and with an addition of at 
least sixty holes pierced in his behind, and 
indeed I cannot say, that I felt the least 
compunction at heart for playing such a 
painful trick upon my crony. 

In the spring of the year, I took a notion 
to take a look at the Western Country, en- 
tertaining a remote idea, if the country 
pleased me, that upon my return I would 
sell ofi* and remove my family. In the 
month of March I started off from Hano- 
ver, and bent my course for the West, and 
never came to a halt until I had arrived in 
the emporium ol the West (the city of Cin- 
cinnati,) when I arrived there, 1 spent 
about six days in taking a good look out 
through the city, to see how things went 
on — during that short space of time, I be- 
came acquainted with the firm of T. and 
E. Graham, merchants of that city; they 
were in the act of building a handsome 
country seat, which in part was ready for 
plastering when I became acquainted with 
them. I made an engagement with them 



260 

to work for them at the house for two dol- 
lars per day — I then had to undertake two 
rooms and finish them, which was to be 
the sample pattern of my professional abi- 
lities, and if he approved of my perform- 
ance, I then was to have the balance of 
the whole house, and if he did not like my 
performance, he was to have the privilege 
of dischars:in£]C me after the two rooms 
were done — before my two rooms were 
done, Mr. Graham boasted of my facility 
in working; he allowed that I could do as 
much in one day at plastering as any man 
he had as yet seen at the business could 
do in two; and expressed himself, that he 
had a very cheap hand at his house, which 
I learned as I have already stated. This 
piece of intelligence coming from so high 
and responsible source as the firm of T. 
and E. Graham, spread itself among the 
hands pursuing the same trade with myself 
in the city; they called out at Mr. Graham's 
country seat to see me at work, and every 
one of the craft made themselves acquaint- 
ed with me, and told me that I done the 
work too cheap for Mr. Graham. I told 



261 
them that I had popped on the job at a hap- 
hazard not knowing any thing about the prices 
of labour in or about the city, the first man 
that made liimself acquainted was a Mr. Thorb, 
a boss plasterer, he offered nie two dollars and 
fifty cents per day if 1 would come and work 
for him, 1 as a stranger naturally felt a strong 
disposition to get into business. 

I told him that I could not then make an im- 
mediate engagement not until I had finished the 
one I then had on hand, and when the two 
rooms which 1 had engaged to finish were done 
and my boss did not raise the wind I then 
would come to him. So I finished my two 
rooms, I then asked him how he liked my 
work as he had a sample then before him to 
judge for hinaself, he said that he was very 
well satisfied with my work, and that I now 
should go on with the balance of the house 
without delay, I intimated to him that I could 
not work for him any longer for the wages he 
was giving me, that the plasterers had inform- 
ed me that I was working at prices which were 
lower than was the usual rates in the city, he 
wanted to know from me who those plaster- 
ers were, my informants, I frankly told him 



262 
that Mr. Thorb offered me two dollars and fif- 
ty cents per day, or twenty cents per yard if I 
rather chosed te work by measurement, he 
then asked me how many yards I could plas- 
ter in a day, I told him I could plaster fifty 
yards in a day, he told me that he was very 
much pleased with my work, and I should go 
on to finish his house for him, that he would 
double my wages, so when he offered me the 
four dollars per day as wages I went on to 
finish the house, and added that he could get 
me into better business than Mr. Thorb could 
if I would finish his house as I had commenc- 
ed it, I told him that the balance of the work 
to be done in his house should be equally as 
well done as the part I had then finished, I 
assured him and did the firm of T. and E. 
Graham equal justice with myself, in re- 
gard to my work^ I done the work well, and 
in a workmanlike manner, and speedily too; 
when his house was entirely finished, as a mark 
of satisfaction entertained by them as to the 
discharge of my duty,he told me that he would 
get me a good job, that would last me the 
whole summer, he recommended me as a su- 
perior plasterer, to a Mr. John H. Pyatt, who 



263 

is a gentleman so well known to every body- 
in or about Cincinnati that to attempt to de- 
scribe him would be spending time and words 
uselessly, though I am not now writing for a 
community that exactly is in the latitude of 
Cincinnati, and shall content myself to tell my 
readers who are residents of the Lord knows 
where, that Mr. John H. Pyatt was in them 
days the only enterprising man in the city of 
Cincinnati, who built first rate houses, and 
who is the man who had the City Hotel built, 
he kept about one hundred hands employed of 
various professions, in putting up the most 
splendid buildings that were erected in the 
city, he was very rich indeed, he had a bank- 
ing establishment of his own, to him I got a 
letter of recommendation from the firm of T. 
and E. Graham. Mr. Pyatt engaged me to do 
some buildings for him right straight away, 
upon the strength of Messrs. T. and E. Gra- 
ham's recommendation at two hundred dollars 
per house, and the only condition was that I 
was to do them as well I had done Mr. Gra- 
ham's. So then, gentle reader, you may sup- 
pose 1 had my hands full, and to work I went 
right merrily at Mr. Pyatt's houses, and work- 



264 
ed away till I had finished five houses, 1 drew 
as much money from him nearly every week or 
two as paid olFall my hands and kept my teeth 
clear; while I was engaged at the sixth house, 
which I had about half finished^ a report was 
circulated that his bank had stopped payment, 
and it was only too true for joke; the hands in 
his employ all went up to his banking house 
to see, and it was confirmed what had been 
reported; at the time the bank was broke, I ow- 
ed my hands about ten dollars, and I had fifty 
dollars of Mr. John H. Pyatt's bank paper in 
my trunk, I paid off my hands with it, and then 
I came off as independant as a wood sawyer. 
In a day or two after the breaking of the bank, 
when the bustle was over, and the excitement 
was a little cooled down, I went to Mr. 
Pyatt to see if I could squeeze some of the 
necessary out of him to carry me home; I inti- 
mated to him my intention of returning home, 
and having sold my horse, when I came into 
the city wished to purchase another to carry 
me home, and such like things, which were 
indispensibly necessary on a journey, he heard 
me, and w^hen I had done with what I had to 
say he asked me where my place of residence 



265 

was, 1 told him that I lived about five hundred 
miles eastward of Cincinnati, near the city of 
Baltimore, he told me that if he gave one, that 
he would be bound to give to all ihe hands 
upon equitable principles; I told him my case 
was an exception, that the rest were inhabi- 
tants of the city, and I was a stranger — he told 
me if I would go to the State of Kentucky to 
keep his conduct towards me a secret he would 
give me one hundred dollars to buy a horse 
for me; he lent me one of his carriage horses, 
and off I started for Kentucky and purchased 
a horse for myself, the money I had was not 
counterfeit as he had only stopped payment, I 
did not know its solvency, nor did Mr. Pyatt 
know that fact, it turned out upon inquiry into 
the solvency of his banking establishment that 
it was bursted all to flinders. 

I brought my horse over to Ohio, he looked 
at the horse and allowed that I had made a 
very judicious purchase, I then put at him a- 
gain for another additional lot of money to car- 
ry me home, he rather was for baffling me;his 
wife asked me if I had a family, I answered 
her I had a wife and five children, and that I 
had no way of supporting them only by my 
22 



266 
daily exertions and earnings, she then address- 
ed herself to her husband and said under those 
circumstances that he might give me some as- 
sistance, he asked me if 1 was indebted much 
in the city, I answed his question that I ow- 
ed about fifty dollars, he told me as I was 
going away and would keep it a secret he 
would pay me a hundred dollars in Eastern 
money, and the farther sum of fifty dollars of 
the Miami Exporting Company, if I would 
give him a receipt in full. I made the best of 
a bad bargain I could, took him up at his offer, 
took the cash, executed the receipt by him re- 
quired of me. From there I went to my board- 
ing house and bei^an to make arrangements in 
settling up my little affairs to take my final a- 
dieu, the day before I started for my home I 
called to see my worthy friends T.and E. Gra- 
ham, to give them my good bye, he sympathiz- 
ed with me and regretted very much that I 
had such bad luck with Mr. Pyatt, by whom 
I lost the sum of nearly four hundred dollars. 
In our conversation an elderly gentleman step- 
ped into the'store-room of E. and T. Graham, 
a merchant, by the name of Taylor, from Bal- 
timore, he inquired if he knew of any gentle- 



267 
man that was going Eastward, Mr. Graham 
observed to him that 1 was going Eastward, 
Mr. Taylor asked me when I was going to 
start, I told him I was ready to go the next 
day, he said he would be glad if I could delay 
another day that he would like to have com- 
pany, 1 told him that I should start in the af- 
ternoon of the next day, and I then would tra- 
vel slowly, so then I bade Mr. Graham a cor- 
dial farewell, and on the following afternoon I 
put out for the East and overtook a young 
man from St. Louis, travelling towards the city 
of Philadelphia, we lodged together for that 
night, and discovered to one another our pur- 
suits; I observed to him that a gentleman was 
coming on from Cincinnati for Baltimore, that 
he was a half day's ride behind us; he observ- 
ed that we would jog on our own gait, if he 
overtook us well and good, and if he did not 
overtake us was no matter. We were travel- 
ling in the month of August, the weather was 
very hot and sultry, we took advantage of ear- 
^ ly starting in the mornings; one morning we 
made a start earlier than usual, we had before 
us a very steep hill, a very narrow road, and 
a long uphill, w4ien we came to the summit of 



268 

the hill, it was a complete thicket of Laurel, 
we were a talking, I espied ahead a large bun- 
dle lying in the road, to which I invited my 
travelling companion's attention thereto, he 
asked me what I thought was the meaning of 
it, my apprehensions were awakened, and in- 
deed roused to a considerable pitch, and sur- 
mises began to present themselves to me of an 
unfavorable character, which multiplied them- 
selves with the rapidity of thought, I observed 
that I was apprehensive that robbers were a- 
bout, and had lain a bait for travellers, or that 
a murder had been committed; after the re- 
mark had been made by me I found that my 
companion changed colour, from a rosey red 
to pale, if I did not look as I have described 
his looks they betrayed my feelings; as we ap- 
proached the bundle a good looking young 
man emerged from the laurels with a large 
club in his hands, he bade us a good morning, 
he picked up the bundle, and at the distance 
of eight or ten yards out came another young 
man and he too armed with a club in his hands, 
we had not gone five yards further until the 
third one arrived, as the two former ones were. 



269 

made his appearance, and tliey kept company 
with us, they inquired of us how far we were 
going along this road, we told them we were 
going on to Pittsburgh, one of ihem asked us, 
if we were mechanics, I told him yes, he asked 
how far we intended to go for breakfast, we 
told him we intended to go about eight miles, 
he asked me how far we had been out west, I 
told him we had been as far as Cincinnati, he 
asked us if we had been to work, I said we 
had not, that we could get no work there, ihey 
then began a confab amongst themselves, and I 
began to urge my horse ahead, one of them ob- 
served that we should not be in a hurry, I told 
him I wanted to get on to my breakfast, we 
rode on pretty smartly for a few miles, until 
we were sure we were freed from their com- 
pany, which we by no means desired; when 
we thought that we had cleared the skirts of 
harm's way we then jogged on as usual, many 
strange sensations pervaded my breast, and 
many schemes of defence presented themselves 
to me. 

While we were annoyed with their company 
we rode ten miles before we could get break- 
fast, which we succeeded in getting at a ta- 
22* 



270 
vern, we dismounted and got our horses some 
hay while our breakfast was getting ready, 
and after we had attended to our horses we 
then went into the house, and called for some- 
thing to drink, we were at ease resting for a- 
bout three quarters of an hour until our break- 
fast should be ready, during this time we made 
our landlord acquainted with our adventure 
with the three sturdy fellows who we had met; 
as 1 have already described; the landlord he 
then told us that he had often heard that there 
was a band of robbers about Cadiz; we asked 
how far it was to Cadiz, he said it was thirty 
miles, 1 told him that perhaps they were going 
over there, and I said that I was very glad that 
we had got clear of them; he said that we had 
reason to be glad, for there was no knowing 
what folks of such depraved manners would do 
as they were as ready as willing to do any 
thing; in this time we were called into a room 
to take our breakfast, and before 1 sat down I 
took off my brace of pistols and laid them on 
the mantlepiece, and while we were eating 
our breakfast, our unwelcome companions 
came into the tavern, they called for some bit- 
ters, the landlord waited on them, and while 



271 
they were drinking one of them asked the rest 
if they would stop and take breakfast, the rest 
said no that they would go on, one of them he 
espied my brace of pistols laying on the chim- 
ney piece, he drew one of them out of thebol- 
stersjhe observed to his comrades here is a nice 
pair of pistols, his comrade he came up and 
took a look at the pistol, and the initials of my 
name was engraved on the barrel W. O., for 
William Otter; said he to the one that first in- 
vited his attention to the pistol, W. O. what 
does that stand for, the other said it stood for 
wo, and by this time me and my comrade came 
out of the room we were eating breakfast, in 
the bar-room, they were a set of tremendous 
impudent fellows, one of them said to us that 
they had caught up with us again, I answered 
him yes, they picked up the bundle and took up 
a line of march ahead of us again; as soon as 
I seen the manouvre I observed to my comrade 
that we were just in as bad a box as we had 
been in early in the morning with the lads; the 
landlord's impressions of the fellows was un- 
favorable, he allowed that they were after no 
good from what he could deduct from their 
conduct; he cautioned me to examine my pis- 



272 
tols and keep my shooting irons in anriple or- 
der, that I should reload them, and if they 
manifested any of the slig-htest disposition to 
attack us just to crack away and pop them 
down; I thought the landlord's council very 
good, I drew the loads, reloaded my pistols 
and put them into serviceable order, I asked 
the landlord how far it was to the next tavern, 
he said fifteen miles. We at last got on our 
horses and started, and travelled about four 
or five miles; when w^e were at the foot of ano- 
ther hill, we espied the lads sitting on a rock 
at a small branch close to the road side, we 
came up to them, one held a bottle in his hand, 
he asked us if we would not stop to drink; I 
thanked him and said I believed not, he in his 
vulgar way of expression said that we had as 
well, as wish we had not, by this time my 
companion he put spur to his horse and put 
out and I after him, and they hollowed after us 
as far as we could hear them; we rode on to 
Mr. Moore's tavern. About the middle of the 
afternoon I told my comrade that we would 
stop here and feed our horses, the day was ex- 
ceedingly warm, I ordered the hostler to take 
my horse to the fountain pump and wash himj 



273 

we went in and called for a gin-sling a piece, 
and Mr. Moore invited us into the parlor; I 
laid myself" down on the settee and took a nap 
to myself, my comrade he wakened me and 
said to me that we had better be travelling on. 
I got up, expressed my willingness to go ahead, 
I then told him to order out our horses and I 
would pay the bill, I asked Mr. Moore what 
our bill was, he said 37 1-2 cents, I paid him, 
and asked him how far it was to the next good 
house, he answered me the question, and said 
it was about five miles, we then got on our 
horses, bade him good bye and started. We 
rode on until we came to the five mile house, 
we there inquired if we could be accommoda- 
ted with lodgings for that night, the landlord 
he told us we could, we had our horses put 
away, called for supper, we ate supper, after 
that office had been performed we signified our 
wish to the landlord to retire to rest, a good 
many travellers had stopped there for quarters 
for the night, the landlord he put us into a small 
room right over the passage, the room had but 
one window and one door, there had been at 
one time a lock to the door, but at this time 
nothing was there but a latch, I told my com- 



274 
rade that I would stick my knife over the latch, 
for fear our three unwelcome guests might 
come there that night, I stuck my knife over 
the latch, laid my pistols under my pillow, my 
comrade he laid his dirk under his pillow, he- 
ing weary and fatigued we fell asleep, we 
slept about two hours or thereabouts, I awoke 
and heard a tapping at a room door, and I seen 
a candle through the key hole of our door, I 
wakened my comrade slyly, I told him that I 
believed that them fellows was in the house; we 
both sat up in bed, I grasped my pistols and he 
laid hold on his dirk, we presently heard a tap- 
ping at another room door, and still seen the 
candle, said I to him you may depend they are 
here, said he I believe they are. 

I felt my comrade trembling in bed, a 
mark of confessed fear. We both got up 
out of bed, hauled on our pantaloons, and 
we watched the key hole very sharp; we 
then seen two men come out of the room, 
the one had a candle in his hand, and the 
other had a club in his hand. I then told 
my comrade, that there was two of them; 
they retired for a sh.ort time into a distant 
apartment, at least I judged so from the 



273 

disappearance of the light of the candle. 
I whispered to my partner, if they made 
the attempt to beset our room with a view 
of forcing their way in it, that then I felt 
convinced that evil was their intentioH? 
that he should take a pistol, he should shoot 
the oncj and I would take the other and 
shoot one also, that we would make sure 
work of our game. We sat down on our 
bed listening, and coolly waiting for the 
attack which we apprehended; at length 
sure enough they came to our door; they 
wrapped at our door twice; when he wrap- 
ped a second time, I arked him, who is 
there; he answered, the landlord and ano- 
ther g-entleman who wished to see us, that 
we should not be alarmed. I told them, 
that I thought that nobody had any busi- 
ness in our room this time of the night; by 
this he tried to raise the latch of the door; 
and I cautioned them, if they would force 
their way into our room, the first man that 
would dare set his foot into it I would blow 
his brains out; and my comrade he cauffht 
the word, and said that he would blow out 
any man's brains that would dare set his 
foot into our room. The landlord, he said 



276 

to us, that that was all right enough, and 
said he wanted to reason the case with us. 
We said that we wanted an explanation 
from him. He began to tell us, that Mr. 
Moore, his neighbor was along with him, 
that a gentleman had put up at his house 
who had been robbed, and he wished to 
know if any of the robbers had taken re- 
fuge in his house; — at this piece of intelli- 
gence we opened the door, and let them 
in; as soon as Mr. Moore entered our room,, 
he said he knew those two gentlemen, that 
we had stopped at his house that after- 
noon; we all sat down on the bed, and he 
related the circumstance of a certain Mr. 
Taylor from Cincinnati to Baltimore, who 
had been attacked about one and a half 
miles from his house by three robbers, who 
took him off the road about one hundred 
yards, blind-folded him, and cut off his 
bridle-reins, and tied his arms behind him 
on his back and robbed him of sixteen hun- 
dred dollars; when they attacked him, it 
was about two o'clock, P. M., and they let 
his hor^e run in the thickets, and kept Mr. 
Taylor tied and blind-folded until sun down;, 



277 
two of them had resolved to kill him, the 
third one however was not agreed to de- 
stroy Mr. Taylor's iife, as he was an old 
man. After the resokition had carried that 
they would spare him his life, he began to 
get a littie heart to speak to the robbers, 
and expostulated with them to let him have 
as much money as would carry him home; 
one of them then asked of Mr. Taylor 
where he lived; he told them that he re- 
sided in the city of Baltimore, that he hop- 
ed that they would give him as much mo- 
ney as would take him home. They said 
yes, that they would act honorable with 
him — so then they gave him back eleven 
dollars ol his money. After the} had given 
back the money, they then gave him com- 
pany until the sun was down, they then 
loosened his arms, and enjoined it on Mi\ 
Taylor on pain of being shot, that he should 
not untie the handkerchief which they had 
tied over his eyes, until they were out of 
sight. 

The old gentleman he kept it on until he 
heard no more of them, he then then took 
it off. The next thing Mr. Taylor done, 
23 



278 

was to go in quest of his horse, which he 
at last found in the laurel bushes — he made 
his way out of the thicket to the big road 
to Mr. Moore's tavern, the best way he 
could, and then gave the alarm. 

Mr. Mcore had several mechanics at 
work, he gave them horses and sent them 
out in every direction in pursuit of the rob' 
bers, as well as himself; he made every ex- 
ertion in his power which brought him to 
our lodgings, and from whom we got the 
first piece of intelligence of Mr. Taylor be- 
iui:^ robbed. 

1 then told him what we had seen in the 
morning, gave him a fair description of the 
men, and of their performance, and added 
that I believed that they were the robbers. 
When we ate our breakfast, I deducted a 
fact from an expression made use of by the 
landlord, whieh made me believe that those 
fellows were from Cadiz, as he said there 
was a band of robbers in that neighbor- 
hood. Mr. Moore he came to the conclu- 
sion, tliat he would get one of his neigh- 
bors to accompany him, and that he would 
push for Cadiz instantly. Mr. Moore thank- 



279 
ed me for the information I had imparted 
to him, bade us good night, and started for 
Cadiz. The next news I then heard was, 
that Mr. Moore had overtaken the very 
three fellows who had anno^^ed us so much, 
just as they were going into the town of 
Cadiz. On the second day after they had 
committed the robbery, Mr. Moore reco- 
vered Mr. Taylor's money from them all, 
except sixteen dollars which they had 
spent. After the apprehension and the 
confession of the robbery, the replacing of 
the stolen property, it followed as a matter 
of course, that they smoked for their impu- 
dence in the penitentiary. 

On my road home, I undertook a job of 
work to plaster in the town of Waynesburg, 
of some considerable extent, the Catholic 
Church in that town. After I had made 
the bargain, I then left Waynesburg and 
moved off for Hanover, my place of resi- 
dence. I rested myself a kw days on my 
return; after the fatigue of the journey had 
worn off a Uttle, I went back to Waynes, 
burg to finish what I had engaged to com- 
plete. When I came there, I began work 
and finished the job, and when I was done 



280 
there I did not get the money for doing it. 
The fall of the year was at hand, and I had 
no money. I had beef and pork to pro- 
vide for myself and family, and no money 
to pay for it. To raise the wind, I went to 
the city of Baltimore and sold my horse 
to a Mr. Sullivan, a master tailor, for a new 
suit of clothes and eighty dollars in ready 
rhino. I then came home and laid in tny 
provisions for my family, and laid on my 
oars for that winter. Some time during 
that winter, niy brother Edward wrote a 
letter to me, to come on tl e Eastern Shore 
of Maryland, assuring me the sum of tVv^o 
dollars per day during the summer. I laid 
the mutter before my wife, and we came 
to the conclusion that we move to the 
neighborhood of my brother on the East- 
ern Shore; having in my possession a house 
and lot in the town of Hanover, which I 
had purchased, and on which I owed the 
sum of six hundred dollars, and v^dshed to 
get rid of it at any rate, as times was dcU 
in Hanover; I thought that by those means 
I would be able to effect a sale of my house. 
I went to the man whom I owed the money 



281 

to, and told him my intention, and offered 
him my house in the liquidation of the debt. 
He as much as called my proposition a 
fudge; I assured him that I was in real 
earnest about it; and to convince him in a 
few days after I got ready, went on to the 
city of Baltimore to get a vessel that would 
carry me and my family to the place where 
my brother resided in Somerset county, 
Maryland; and I waited in the city of Bal- 
timore until my wife came on to join me 
with the family — in three days I was joined 
by my wife and the rest of the family. The 
old fellow who had thought all was a joke, 
until I had left Hanover for good, he seen 
that I was in earnest — he accompanied my 
wife to the city, and there bought the 
house; in that time 1 had rented the house 
for one year, at sixty dollars rent. We 
agreed that I was to give him an order to 
draw the rent when it should have expired. 
I gave him at the advice of the Squire in 
the city, instead of an order, a note for the 
rent; if Mr. Hays paid the rent, the note 
should be null and void; and if Hays did 
not pay the rent, in that event Mr. Peter 
23* 



282 

Winebreniier would have my note, which 
he held m his possession for ten years, and 
at the end of that time he sent the note to 
an attorney in Fredericktown, who brought 
suit thereon, and he obtahied a judgment 
m Frederick County Court against me for 
the whole sum, principal and interest; it 
amounted to one hundred and twenty-five 
dollars, inchidiLig the costs, fo now I re- 
turned to Ballimcre, as I had to make a 
short digression from the even tenor of my 
Eastern Shore trip, as I then thought I 
went clip and clear, but in ten years I 
learned better than ail that, I paid for the 
roast, particularly if Mr. Hays paid the 
rent lo Mr. Winebrenner; so here we go 
to the Eastern Shore, the whole crew of 
us, and in three days we got safe to the end 
of my journey, and arrived in safety at my 
brother's. He appeared very glad to see 
me: he took a walk with me the next day 
to shew me the place; — every man, wo- 
man and child were touched with chills 
and fevers — as far as they came under my 
observation; at the sight of these poor fel- 
lows I began to get the horrors. I frankly 



283 

told my brother that I never would stay: 
in that countiy. He asked me my rea- 
sons why, I told him I had too good a wife 
to bring there to die, as all the folks I had 
seen were candidates for the bone-yard. 
He asked me, if I would not do General 
Wilson's house while I did stay there. I 
told him I would not strike a single stroke 
for any body, that if I did once begin work 
that perhaps I could not quit when I want- 
ed, and while I was clear I would stay so. I 
stayed with my brother four v/eeks, and 
then a chance presented itself to me to go 
up to the city. 

I took my v/ife and family along, and we 
set sail lor the City of Washington; 1 ar- 
rived in the City after a voyage of three 
weeks and t'lrce days. The first man I met 
in the city who I knew, and who was a gen- 
tleman of character, was Mr. Jas. M'Sher- 
ry, a member of Congress of the United 
States, which was then in session. He 
gave me a recommendation to a boss as a 
first rate hand at my business. The boss 
who had undertaken to do the Capitol, 
told me that I was too early, that if! would 



284 
stay till May, that he would give me work. 
I had my family with me, my expenses 
were heary, and my money began to run 
short, I could not stay until May. I made 
a stay of three weeks in the city — in these 
three weeks I seen Mr. M^Sherry again; 
he asked me how I had succeeded. I told 
him that I was too early to get any employ 
at the Capitol. He asked me to be patient, 
that he knew that Mr. John Nelson, also a 
member of Congress was then about build- 
ing a house in Frederick City, perhaps he 
could get me into business there. He then 
spoke to Mr. Nelson about it in my pre- 
sence. Mr. Nelson made his reply to me, 
that his house was partly engaged, yet, 
when he came home he would get me to 
assist in the finishing of it. I told Mr. John 
Nelson that I resided in Baltimore: when 
the building was ready, he sent his boss 
plasterer down to see me. I went to 
Frederick-town and helped to finish his 
house — when that job was done, I got the 
house of Mr. John Schly,Esq.to do on my own 
contract, and when 1 had finished his house 
which amounted to threehundred and eighteen 



285 

dollars I went back to Baltimore again; by 
this time it was in the autumn of the year, 
I opened an oyster shop for tliat season, when 
I also attended to the selling of horses, among 
the rest of my purchases of horses I bought 
one that was stone blind, which he got by a 
water founder. I rode the blind horse and led 
two others down to the horse market, a gen- 
tleman by the name of Ellicott he asked me if 
the horse I rode was for sale, I told him he was, 
he asked me what I would take for him, I told 
him that I would take one hnndred and ten 
dollars for him, he asked me to move him, I 
did so, I found he had a notion for him, I gave 
the two liorses I led to a boy to take care of 
them until Mr. Ellicott examined him, and after 
he had examined him all over excepting his 
eyes, wliich 1 held up so high that he could 
not see them, he asked me if tlie horse work- 
ed, I told him I would insure him to work any 
place, he would hitch him, he then said, I will 
give thee eighty dollars for him, I thought if 
I had the money, he might have the horse, but 
to keep trade agoing I observed that I was of- 
fered more money for him at home, I did not 
like to make such a big fall, I offered him the 



286 

horse at ninety -five dollars, he told me if 
he would work as I said, he would give me 
eighty-five dollars for him, I insured him 
to work as well as any other horse in Balti- 
more, I told him he should have him for $90, 
he said no, that he would give me $85, and not 
a bit more, I told him to take the horse, he 
took the horse and paid me the eighty-five dol- 
lars, I took the saddle off him and the bridle, 
put the saddle on one of my other horses, and 
as soon as convenient I put out from the horse 
market, to Mr. King's tavern, Howard street; 
I had been there scarcely half an hour until 
Mr. Ellicot came there in quest of me, the first 
words he said was, ''Thee is here is thee," I 
said yes as we were all personally present, 
he said that horse of thine is blind, and thee 
knowest it, I told him if the horse was blind, 
that I hoped he was not; he requested Mr. 
King to keep me in his custody until he should 
be ready to procure a constable to apprehend 
me. Mr. King told him that I paid my way 
and he had no control over me; he started off 
inquest of an officer, and while he was search- 
ing for a constable I submitted the case to Mr* 
King for his opinion about the business, when 



287 

Mr. King learned that I had insured no farther 
than that the horse would work; he allowed 
that I should stand the rubs, that Mr. Ellicott 
had no proof, and no great matter would arise 
out of it, so I staid to buffet the storm; present- 
ly he met on the street an officer, of the name 
of William Rosensteel, a man whom I knew 
very well at Hanover, they came in, and Mr. 
Ellicott pointed me out to Mr. Rosensteel as 
his man, when Mr. Rosensteel seen me, he ad- 
dressed me in the familiar phraseology, well 
namesake how are you, I said to him in turn 
well William how are you, Mr. Ellicot he said 
to Mr. Rosensteel to take me to the Squire — 
Mr. Rosensteel refused him that office, upon 
the grounds that he had no authority to arrest 
me; he then called Mr. Rosensteel out, and I or- 
dered my horses out, in a i^ew minutes he sent 
Mr. Rosensteel into the tavern with authority 
to make an overture to me to take back my ; 
horse, he would give me ten dollars, I seen in 
his overture a ketch, and got Mr. Rosensteel. 
to tell the story before Mr. King, he told it 
again, and I told Mr. Rosensteel to tell Mr. 
Ellicott if he would add a' bottle of wine to his 
proposition that I would take back the horse, 



288 

he then came in and asked Mr. King if he would 
be so good, and let his black boy go down to 
the horse market for the horse, Mr. King an- 
swered yes, I offered him one of my horses to 
ride down, that lie could do it in less time — 
while he was gone (the boy) Mr. E. observed 
that he would sooner lose ten dollars than go 
to law about il; Mr. Roscnsteel said it was best 
when men could settle things among themselves. 
So we drank wine and talked until the black 
boy came back from the horse market with 
the horse; I went out and told the boy to put 
him up in the stable, and returned to the house, 
went into the parlor to my company and set 
lown, Mr. E. observed to my friend I should 
like to go if thee art ready, I told him that I 
was ready and wished also to go, thee has to 
give me back seventy-five dollars, said he to 
me, oh no, said I, you are to give me ten dol- 
lars, or 1 would not have taken the horse back 
again; oh no, said he, that is not at all our con- 
tract, I appealed to Mr. King and Rosensteel; 
that what I had said was our contract, so then 
we were completely at issue as to the con- 
struction of our bargain; Mr. King and Mr. 
Rosensteel were called upon to define our con- 



289 
tract, and what they understood, and how they 
understood the contract, when they definitely 
decided that I was to take back the horse, and 
Mr. E. was to pay me ten dollars. He got up 
from his seat and addressed himself to me in 
these words, does thee think that I am a fool, 
which question I popped directly at him, and 
said to him does thee think that I am a fool, 
he got into a passion, paid for the wine and 
put out, I got on my horse and went to the 
horse market to sell the rest of my horses, so 
ended this quaker horse business. 

The next spree was a comical performance, 
it arose on an order that was given to me for 
five dollars, which said order I gave to J. M. 
of Emmitsburgh for goods, the drawer of the 
order refused to pay it when it was presented 
to him for payment, and Mr. J. M. came to the 
city to lay in a stock of spring goods, he met 
me on the street, and after the usual saluta- 
tations were over, he told me that the order 
which he had taken for the goods he had sold 
me was unredeemed, and claimed the amount 
from me; I told him that the drawer was bound 
to pay him, that I certainly owed him nothing; 
he in plain terms told ine that he would coer$c 
24 



290 

payment, and asked me where I lived, I tolo 
him I lived near Irishtovvn, so he got a war- 
rant to carry his promise into execution, gave 
it into the hands of a constable, and 1 was a 
newcomer, the officer did not know me, but 
having from description an idea of me and 
my place of residence, just as I wus eating 
dinner, the constable, he wrapped at the 
door, I asked him to walk in, when he had 
come in, he inquired does Mr. Otter live herCj 
I said no sir, he moved away from here yes- 
terday, over to Old Town; at this piece of in- 
telligence the constable shabbed off, and as he 
was in the act of stepping out I inquired of him 
if he had any business with him, he told me 
that a gentlemen from the country had placed 
a warrant into his hands for him; I told the 
constable that it was not worth his while to go 
after Mr. Otter, that he was worth nothing, at 
any rate, he told me he did not intend to both- 
er his head about it, that he had been paid the 
cost. Afier I had palavered the constable in 
the manner I have already related, he put out, 
and I finished my dinner,and wentto my work; 
in about a week after I made myself acquaint- 
ed with this selfsame officer, I inquired of him 
if he had seen Mr. Otter yet, he told me he had 



291 
not, I asked him if he would know him if he 
did see him, he said he would not, but from 
the description he had from the gentleman from 
Emnnitsburgh, that he must be a man of my 
size; I thought the performance of the prank 
so well played off on my part, too good for any 
man to consume by himself; I imparted to the 
constable the secret, that I was the man, he 
appeared Well pleased, he asked me into a ta- 
vern, and called for something to drink to top 
it off. While I was doing the plastering at the 
house of Mr. John Grabill, near Emmitsburgh, 
we had a charming spree with a certain John 
Brown, whom Mr. GrablU had ennployed to 
dig a well for him, inasmuch as he had good 
livin and malin as the Scotchman would term 
it; at Mr. GrabilPs he made shift some how or 
other to maice a long job of it; he was often- 
times taken sick from no apparent causes, led 
Mr. Gabrill to suspect him, for not being as 
temperate, as Mr. Brown endeavored to make 
himself appear in the estimation of Mr. Gra- 
bill. Mr. Grabill one day suggested to me 
the idea, with a view to detect Mr. Brown, to 
take a bottle of whiskey over to Brown's to 
see if he would take the bait; Brown he lived 
in one of Mr. GrabilPs houses, 1 took a bottle 



292 

of whiskey one evening, which IMr. GrabiU 
gave me to try Brown on, as he had been 
sick for a few days as per report, and went to 
Brown's; when I had talked a wliile I asked 
them if they had any thing to'drink in the house, 
Mrs. Brown observed that they had not at that 
time, I said to her, I supposed it was no harm 
to drink, if a body had any thing to drink;I then 
drew my bottle on them and said that I had got 
a bottle full out of the still-house, which we 
would drink if they would keep it a secret and 
not inform on me, they made solemn protesta- 
tions of eternal secrecy, produced two bowls, 
Mr.Brown and myself drank whiskey punch to 
ruin Bessy, as John Brown used to call his 
wife, produced sugar, and drank in turn her 
bowl like a man; she, dear sowl, made the 
time fly fast, with fne charms of her melodious 
voice; she sung songs for us like a nightingale; 
the higher we raised the steam the nicer the 
thing went. When I came home from my first 
whiskey mission,to Mr. Grabill's,they were all 
in bed; the next morning Mr. GrabiU came into 
the building where I was at work, he asked me 
bow Mr. B. was, I told him he was a great deal 
better, he asked me how the whiskey business 
took, why said I, they took it all; said he, does 
she drink too, yes said I, she drank her share. 



293 
well said he, William you must lake another 
bottle full of whiskey over to them to night a- 
gain, and then I'll talk to them. When even- 
ing came, he filled the bottle, gave it to me, 
and away I started for Brown's, with the se- 
cond jorum; when I came to the house I said 
that I had another bottle full of stingo, and as 
soon as I had that out Bessy paraded the sugar 
bowl, and we made whiskey punch just in the 
same way we had done the evening before; we 
went through all the wheelings and facings, and 
w^hen the fountain was dried up, I took my 
bottle and started off for Mr. Grabill's, went to 
bed; the next morning Mr. Grabill came to 
get the morning report, which was the same 
as the day before, none missing at the bottle, 
Mr. Brown still on the sick list, and would 
certainly remain sick or convalescing for a 
month if I had appeared every evening with a 
whiskey bottle. Mr. Grabill he said that now 
he would go and talk to them himself, I said 
yes that he now could learn himself what ailed 
them. Mr. Grabill he went in a day or two 
after to Mr. Brown's, and when he came back 
he told me that he met Bessy near the house, 
he inquired of her how Mr. Brown was, she 
said to Mr. Grabill that he was getting some- 
24* 



294 

thing better, he said that if he was able to work 
that he did not like to be disappointed, he 
would like that he would come and work; he 
then popped the question at her if he ever 
drank any whiskey, she said no indeed; he said 
he wanted to ask her one question, and prefa- 
ced it with a hope that she would tell him the 
truth, she said well what is it, he asked her 
did my plasterer ever bring any whiskey here 
Bessy denied it most manfully, saying in reply 
to Mr. GrabilPs inquiry, no indeed, he never 
did, God knows; he then let her into the secret 
as she thought; he, Mr. Grabill, gave her to 
understand that he had heard that 1 had car- 
ried away some of his whiskey, she still denied 
that I had ever been there with whiskey; he 
then asked for Mr. Brown, she told him he 
was in the house, he rode up to the house, dis- 
mounted, and walked in the house, and asked 
Brown how he came on, he told him that he 
was getting better, that he would soon be able 
to go to work; he asked Brown if Otter, his 
plasterer, ever came over to see him. Brown 
told Mr. Grabill that I did sometimes, he then 
put the same question to Brown he had put to 
Brown's wife, and prefared it with, that it was 



295 

not for the sake of the whiskey, only the sat- 
isfaction of knowing the truth about it, and said 
that he hoped he would tell him the truth about it 
as such he had been informed was my conduct 
in smuggling away his whiskey unbeknownsto 
him; Brown allowed that the question which 
was popped at him was a pretty hard one,Gra- 
bill told him that it did not hurt him, and all the 
satisfaction he wanted was that I should own it 
to him, he only wanted to know if I was guilty 
of it or not; Brown, he was so closely pressed 
and such strong convictions pervaded his breast 
and Mr. Grabill seen the workings of the fel- 
low's inward monitor, and a hard look of Mr. 
Grabill at Brown, he was conscious that Gra- 
bill seen in his countenance the guilt, he then 
told Mr. Grabill that I had carried to his house 
one bottle full , and alleged that one bottle full was 
allheknew of. Now all I want is that the plas- 
terer will acknowledge the truth said Grabill to 
Brown, and if he denies it I'll put him out of 
harm's way for one while. At this juncture 
Mr. Grabill came home, he told me that he 
got Brown to own to it, that 1 had carried 
whiskey to his house. He gave me to under- 



29G 

stand that when Brown came over that I should 
humor the joke, I told Mr. Grabillthatl would; 
Brown had no rest, he came over the next day, 
he came to the building to inform me that Gra- 
bill had been at him to inform whether I had 
carried whiskey to his house, and he pressed 
him so hard that he had imparted to him the 
fact, and he labored under an apparant fear 
for me that a serious afiair might grow out of 
it between Grabill and myself; when I seen tlie 
consternation Brown was in, I told him that he 
had betrayed me, that he should have told Gra- 
bill by no means; I added, to excite the fellow 
the more when we had him on the fence, that 
I would not for one hundred dollars that Gra- 
bill should know it, he said that Grabill had 
said to him that if I would own to it that was 
all he would ask; I told him that as he had told 
it that I would be forced to own to it now, and 
said that I sooner than own to it, I would go 
one hundred miles, and took my hawk and 
trowel and threw them on the mortar board 
violently, as a mark of sovereign contempt for 
his infidelity in betraying me, and continued, 
that was the first whiskey I ever took to any 
place, and it should be the last; Brown began 



297 

to make apology by saying that Grabill had 
pressed him so hard that he was forced in a 
manner to tell; and by way of an offset to 
smooth the ah'air he had said that I had brought 
one bottle. I told him he might as well have 
told him that I had carried the two as the one 
that 1 would have to own to it any how. The 
next morning Brown came to work, and the 
dinner table was 'the theatre to finish our sport 
with Brown, Grabill he began on me in this 
manner, I have a question to ask you and hope 
you will tell me the truth; said he, did you ever 
carry any of my whiskey over to Mr= Brown's 
house, I told him yes that I had, he asked me 
where I got it, I told him where every body 
else got it, at the still house, he asked me how 
much I had carried over to Brown^s; Brown 
answered for me and said one bottle, to make 
valid the lie he had told about it; why said I 
Brown you certainly must know that I brought 
to your house two bottles full, you and I and 
Bessy, we drank it; well, he said, there miglit 
have been two, I told him why to be sure there 
was two, I said it was not worth while to say 
a word of a lie about it, for I cared nothing at 



298 
all about the whiskey. Grabill to humor the 
joke asked me in rather a sarcastic tone and 
manner if I had paid for the whiskey, I told 
him no, but could pay for it, he said that was 
against his rule to carry away whiskey with- 
out his order, or paying for it, I told him I did 
not know his rules, I thought that I might take 
that liberty, allowing myself the privilege to 
pay for it at any time, as I was working there. 
Brown, when we came out from dinner, allow- 
ed that I had come off devilish well. Grabill 
then unveiled the joke and told Brown that he 
had acted a very bad part in the play; he gave 
him a lecture about his intemperance, and ad- 
ded that he must do better hereafter, or else he 
would give him the sack, that he had acted 
the worst of the two in the whiskey business. 
Brown he took care in future of No. one, and 
when he came home his dear wife, Bessy, abu- 
sed him outrageously for his treachery. In the 
affair between the two he formed a resolution 
of becoming a sober man, which he pretty 
strictly adlieard to for the space of one year. 
Brown he had a large dog who accompanied 
his master faithful. Mr. Benjamin Yingling, the 
boss painter, and myself, we came to a 



299 

conclusion that by some means or oth- 
er we would work the dog's death for a 
piece of sport; one day after dinner, Mr. 
Brown descended his ladder and was at the 
bottom of the well, the dog laid on his clothes 
near the well, Ben and myself we seized on 
the opportunity, we got some spirits of tur- 
pentine, caught Brown's dog and gave him 
a touch of the stuff, and then went up stairs 
in the new building to see the performance 
which was shortly to take place; the spirits 
of turpentine had its desired effect, the dog 
began to manifest symptoms of uneasiness, 
and at length he began to run round the 
house hke all nature, and occasionally 
would take a sleigh ride to himself, which 
happened at or near the same spot, every 
rounds he ran round the house we called 
to Brown, and imparted to him our ideas 
that we believed that his dog was mad,that 
he was dancing waltz's and cutting all sorts 
of fandango's. Brown he hastened up lad- 
der with all rea?»onable speed, as he had a 
deep interest at stake v/ith his faithful dog; 
we cautioned Brown to take care of him- 
self, as we seen hisdesire to catch the dogi 



300 
not to caich him, that he assuredly would 
bite him. Brown said he knew better, that 
his door would not bite him if he labored 
under hydrophobia; he after two or three at- 
tempts caught him, and the turpentine tickled 
the alfactory organs in Mr. Brown's nose, he 
smelled the rat; he took the dog down to the 
creek and held him into it to cool the parts that 
had been annointed with the turpentine. The 
distiller seen Brown at such an unusual occu- 
pation as that of holding his dog in the manner 
aforesaid, he asked him the cause, Brown said 
somebody liad turpentined his dog; the distiller 
told him to oil it, that oil would kill the effects 
of the turpentine. After he had poured oil out 
on the poor dog he came back, we asked him 
if his dog had got well he said yes; we asked 
what was the matter with him, he said some- 
body had turpentined him, we disowned and 
disclaimed any knowledge about it, as we 
thought the dog was mad, we kept out of his 
way for fear he would bite us. This trick 
which had afforded us a good deal of amuse- 
ment led me on to anotlier, w^hich led to the 
destruction of the animal's life, as we were 
bent on it never to give him up until his exist- 



301 

ence had a period put to, which happened in 
the following manner: Yingling and myself 
w^ent to our respective homes on Faturday 
noon, we returned on the following Monday 
by dinner. When we quit work at night, sup- 
per oil the table and all hands around the table 
I asked Ben Yingling if he had seen any hand- 
bills in the country where he came from, Ben 
said he had; this ambiguous question excited 
Brown's curiosity about the handbills, what 
handbills said he, I told him of a gentleman 
who resided in Baltimore, advertised for a dog 
that could dive in the water to the depth of six 
feet, and bring up twenty-five pounds weight; 
that for a dog that could render such a per- 
formance, he would give fifty dollars for, Ben 
he allowed that there was a dog in their town 
that could do it; Brown said that his dog could 
do it "like a shot." We told him if his dog 
could do it that we would insure him the fifty 
dollars for him; we came to an understanding 
and agreement the next day at dinner to try 
him. The next day after dinner we took the 
dog to Mr. Grabill's mill dam, tied a stone a- 
bout 8 or 9 lb. around his neck and threw him 
in the water, at the edge of the dam, he pad- 
25 



302 
died to shore with the stone round his neck 
pretty well, we all admired his performance. 
We then took a stone a few pounds heavier, 
tied that round his neck and got into the flat j 
Brown, Ben, and myself. 

Mr. Grabill he staid on shore; we threw 
the dog overboard, and to our surprise he 
paddled to the shore the second time; we 
admired that performance also, which 
tickled Brown's fancy to the "nines." We 
rowed our boat to shore, and I picked out 
a nice stone about twenty pounds, weight, 
allowincr that if he would briii2!' that to the 
shore, that we wo aid insure him the fifty 
dollars, (knowing that that was the last time 
his dog was to see day light,) he insured it, 
so we tied the stone round his neck, row- 
ed the boat into the middle of the dam; I 
took a look to see that all was well secur- 
ed, and we hoisted the lad overboard in 
the middle of the dam. I told Ben, that I 
thought that he would come out up stream. 
Brown he allowed, that he would come out 
down stream. Ben allowed, that he would 
come out at the side of the dam. We all 
had our peculiar notions as to his coming 



303 

out — I, of course, looked up stream; Brown 
he looked down the stream, and Ben he 
looked across the dam; and we looked for 
the movings of the waters to see him come 
out — the (log in the mean time was safely 
moored at the bottom of the mill dam, with 
a stone round his neck, dead enough; 
when a sufficient time had expired to con- 
vince all hands on board that the dog must 
be assuredly drowned. Brown began to 
cry, and whether he cried at the fate the 
dog met, or for the fifty dollars, we never 
could learn, and under either circumstance 
we made him up the sum of two dollars 
as a recompense for the loss of his dog. 
The donations were given by the following 
persons, and the respective sums, Mr. Gra- 
bill gave one dollar; Benj'n Yingling and 
myself spliced, and gave the other dollar, 
and so ended that performance. 

Another small fi*acas happened at the 
same place, the boss he happened to take 
sick, he gave me his negro man Frank to 
carry the hod, who had a knack of his own 
to finish every bottle of whiskey that came 
into his way; one day, Ben Yingling and 



304 

myself, we took about a gill of turpentine 
and poured it into the whiskey bottle, and 
as we went to our breakfast, Frank he at- 
tended to the bottle as usual, and downed 
the whole mess, whiskey and turpentine; 
presently it began to operate on him; he 
came into the kitchen crying, and asked 
his mistress how his master was. She said 
that he was very low, Frank expressed a 
great desire to see his master, that he al- 
lowed himself to die before his master, that 
he had such dreadful burning in his belly^ 
and still a crying to such an extent as to 
alarm Mrs. Grabill, who was afraid to tell 
Mr. Grabill; she told us of it; we told her 
to let him alone, we knew what was the 
matter with the lad, and when breakfast 
was over, we went to Frank, who was in 
the kitchen; we asked him what was the 
matter; he said he was burning up alive. 
We took Frank and gave him a bottle of 
oil, which in a short time allayed the fever 
in his intestines, the oil in the course of 
some time produced a rumbling in his 
guts, but in fine, relieved him. Frank let 
bottles alone, he never minded them after 
that. In the course of all my sprees, I 



305 

have one to tell, that I shall call the story, 
''Dance to me, Miss Betsey." This Dance 
to me Miss Betsey, happened near Berlin, 
and in the following manner: 1 was plas- 
tering a house for a gentleman in that 
neighborhood, who had two negro boys, 
who were in the habit of stealing the old 
man's bacon. We watched the boys after 
they had stolen a parcel of bacon, they 
cprried it to a widow woman's house, a 
tenant of his, who had a daughter whose 
name was Elizabeth; the two negro boys 
and Betsey ihey took a three-handed reel, 
and of course Betsey was the Jack for both 
sides; she was in the middle dancing to 
one, and then presently the o;her one 
would say, dance to me Miss Betsey, and 
she would turn herself around to her sooty 
companion and dance to him awhile; and 
as they danced, the other would call and 
say, dance to me Miss Betsey, and so they 
kept up the sport in this way. The old 
widow was sitting in the chimney corner 
singing away for life, to whose music the 
negroes and Miss Betsey kept time. Me and 
my employer where all the while looking 
25* 



306 

on through the cracks of the house. In the 
morning after breakfast; they were farmers, 
the principal part of their work was in the 
barn; the old fellow he armed himself with 
a "cow hide," and called one of the boys 
down from the barn-floor to the stable, 
and then he told him, he intended to flog 
him for stealing his bacon, and he began 
to lay on, and every cut or two he would 
say to him, "dance to me Miss Betsey;" 
and when he was done with him he sent 
him aloft, and told him to send the other 
boy down. He came and was lambasted 
in the same way the other one was, and 
every once and awhile the old fellow would 
say to him, "dance to me Miss Betsey." 
They knew bravely what was intended, by 
dance to me Miss Betse}^ as they had tak- 
en the dance only the evening before, and 
I think they would rather have repeated it 
than the dance they had in the stable with 
their master, and him to say to them, 
dance to me Miss Betsey. 

While in the neighborhood of Dillstown, 
I w^as plastering a house for Mr. Mullen, 
and while there, the evening of a singing 



307 
school came round, we all agreed we would 
go to the singing school, to hear and see 
Mr. Thomas Essom, who was the teacher, 
whose name and fame is spread far and 
wide as a musical performer. I was de- 
lighted with his performance, he sang 
beautiful, his manly voice with deep swel- 
ling tones, full and round, sounded solemnly 
sublime in my ears. I think, as far as I 
am able to judge? that he is really a master 
of his profession; he is a master at music 
in every sense of the word, and my opinion 
is supported by men whom I have since 
heard talk of him, say that he is the only 
man, whom they know that is a master of 
music in every sense of the word. Well, 
then we had three or four other capers 
which we played off, going to and from 
the singing school, they will be related in 
the order they happened — the first one 
was, we stopped at the house of Mr. Kin- 
dig, got our horses fed and we took sup- 
per; we then drew about one dozen of su- 
phcena's, and I served every one of them as 
we went along on the folks, to attend an 
arbitration on Saturday, in Dillstown. — 



308 

Well, then we must leave this arbitration 
business as it did not end till Saturday, 
which will be related as it occurred. The 
next was a spree we had with an old horse 
farrier; we agreed to rouse huu up, so I 
rode up to the door and hallooed — the old 
fellow he answered. I told him to get up, 
that there was a gentleman at Mr. Kindig's 
tavern, had a horse that was taken very 
sick with the cholic, he should get up and 
go there; that the man said that if he would 
cure him, he would give him five dollars; 
Very well, said he, I'll be there directly, 
and up he got, lit his lanthorn, went to his 
stable, got out his horse; and we were in 
the road watching him to see him start; so 
on he got and rode to Mr. Kindig's tavern; 
when he was started, we then jogged on: 
when he came to Mr. Kindig's, every body 
was in bed, and our old horse farrier had 
to ride about two miles back again to his 
home, and he never found out that I had 
tricked him; he knew that he was tricked, 
but not by whom. We laughed at his er- 
rand, and no doubt he gave ue a planta 
tions blessing about it; by the time he got t 



309 

Kindig's tavern we were in Dillstown, 
there we took a little parting drink, and 
every man went to his respective home. 
On Saturday then the arbitration business 
came on in the afternoon, I went to Dills- 
town to Mr. Howard's tavern, and there 
was about one dozen of fellows in attend- 
ance on the arbitration, and none of them 
knew who was plaintiff or who was defen- 
dant, and as I started for the town to see 
the witness whom lEuphcened, Mr. Mullen; 
he went along to give me an idea of them, 
he knew them, being his neighbors, the 
whole twelve were in attendance, and 
were wondering what they were summon- 
ed for — some of them inquired of Mr. MuU 
len if he knew; he said he did not. I then 
observed, that the parties who had them 
summoned, might have compromised their 
dispute. One of tl em asked me who was 
to pay their expenses. I allowed that the 
county would have to pay them.. They ob- 
served, if they knew that^ they would not 
have been caught there that day — some 
got restive, and signified, that if the fellows 
did not soon come, that they would go 
home; and we kept them in talk, and at 



310 

last they got into a kind of a caper and 
staid till evening, and at last when it was 
night we all put out and the arbitration 
business ended all in smukc. 

I plastered a house near Baughrnan's 
mill, in Frederick count}^, and had with 
me a man who made the mortar for me, 
he was what is usually termed '*near 
sighted;" when we had done our job, we 
had about twelve miles to walk to get to 
cur homes. I was ridinsr and the rest of 
the hands were on foot; near the house of 
General Sherman there was a parcel of 
large white stones laying in the road, and 
it was after day-light by the light of the 
moon, and my man Friday had a dram 
ahead, by this time we were in the middle 
of this pile of stones. Said I to him, Bunty 
take care of the goslings, and he could not for 
his soul suppress his feelings at the caution 
I gave him; he up with his foot and gave 
one of the stones a tremendous kick, and 

with an oath said, the goslings; he 

bruised his foot at such a rate, that we 
were obliged to tarry all night with Gene- 
ral Sherman; we bathed his foot with vine- 



311 

gar and camphor and put him to bed; we 
made an early start the next morning", I 
had to give him my hdrse and I had to foot 
it; I took him home to his wife — his wife 
she asked what was the matter; I told her 
a gosling had bit him in the foot; she said 
yes, and supposed he had whiskey too. I 
said no, that he had not much, it was all 
my fault, and I had to pay the bill at Sher- 
man's, and Bunty paid the balance by being 
disabled h^om work for about three weeks, 
and so ended that business. 

Near to the town of Hanover, the Car- 
lisle and Hanover Turnpike Company 
erected a gate to take toll within the pre- 
cincts of the town, the turnpike company 
had a very saucy Irishman as their gate- 
keeper, through his impcrtinance he got 
into the ill graces of every one of his neigh- 
bors who resided in tow^n. I, as one, who 
was determined to lead my Irishman such 
a life as to make his berth a burden to him, 
to tease him out of his life, and until he 
should put out — it was in the dead of win- 
ter, a snow fell, and in a day or two after 
the snow had fallen, it blew bitter cold, I 



312 

thought that would be the time to let a 
prank or two fly at oar son of the Emerald 
Isle, I made all the exertion I could to let 
him have it, by getting all the hands I 
could to join in the spree. We got about 
eight or ten sleighs hitched up, and we had 
one of the sleighs drove up to the gate 
from town, and turned the sleigh towards 
the town, and then roused up the gate- 
keeper; when he got up, we started off and 
drove into town; this performance was 
played off on him by every sleigh — we had 
at intervals sufficiently to make him rise 
out of his bed, and time enough to let him 
get to his bed and get warm in it. After 
this manoeuvre we drove up all the sleighs 
we had to the gate, and demanded of him 
to rise and let us pass the gate. He refus- 
ed to rise; we told him that if he did not 
get up and let us through, that we would 
hitch our horses to the gate and tear it 
into splinters. At which menace of ours, 
he got up and let ns through; lie seen what 
kind of a gang we were, and the force we 
could muster — he said he thought the devil 
was in the people that night, he could hard- 



313 

h tell how often he had been roused. We 
told him by way of a taunt, that we would 
make him rise just when we pleased, and 
cracked whips over our horses and away 
we went for M'Sherry's town at a merry 
gait; when we came to M'Sherry's town, 
we Slopped at old Oaster's and took a drink; 
we then came to the conclusion to go to 
Reinecker's tavern, and there we would 
feed our horses and take our suppers. We 
started off and drove up to Mr. Reinecker's 
door, they were just in the act of going to 
bed when we arrived — we went in and sig- 
nified our wish to have supper and our 
catde fed. He said it was too late; we in- 
sisted on it, saying we were going to Get- 
tysburg. His wife said she could get sup- 
per. We unhitched all our cattle and got 
them into stables and sheds; we had them 
all well fed; after we had taken great care 
of our horses, we went to the house and 
asked for some brandy, not to forget our- 
selves in the sleighing time. The old wo- 
man she came in and asked what we want- 
ed for supper. I told her we wanted sau- 
sage and pudding, and nothing else — she 
26 



314 

then went to work to prepare our supper. 
The old man he walked into the kitchen 
and seen the preparations going on for our 
supper — he, the old man, was a poor nar- 
row-hearted, miserly, niggardly fellow; he 
began on liis old woman, and threw out 
insinuations that she had prepared too 
much for us; whilst he was, as he thought, 
learning his little wife to cook and to save, 
I took it into my head to make him lose 
on another point as much as he could save, 
so I filled the stove chuck full of wood, and 
it became outrageous hot. The landlord 
had an old monkey chained to a box in the 
house, which was kept for the pui po!=e of 
keeping their stove wood in — ^^this box serv- 
ed for a kind ot a place or kennel for the 
monkey. I took the monkey and removed 
him from his place of retirement, and 
brought him to a more conspicuous part of 
the bar room, I chained him as short as 
the chain would allow, and around the 
stove pipe, the stove was very hot, some 
of the plates were red, and the monkey 
within one foot of it; the heat of the stove 
seemed very oppressive to the old fellow; 



315 

he Eat on his haunches, rolled his eyes about 
in his head at a frightful gait, lolled out his 
tongue, and spread out his fore-paws as if 
to screen him from the heat of the stove*» 
and while the landlord and landlady were 
frying puddings and sausages for us, I was 
roasting the monkey — at last his situation 
was intolerable, he screamed most horri- 
bly; the old man he came running in to see 
what was the matter, he seen the fix the 
monkey was in; he ran to unchain him; he 
had the bad luck to burn his fingers at the 
monkey's chain. We then all agreed that 
he must be cut loose, and at it we went 
and cut the strap, and as soon as he found 
himself at liberty he ran out of the room 
into the kitchen, and jumped on the old 
woman's back; the old woman knew no- 
thing of the monkey being let loose until 
he jumped on her back, and it frightened 
her. The old man he could not catch him, 
and for fear he would run over our pud- 
dings and sausages we opened the kitchen 
door that led to the back yard, and there 
we almost froze him by the time we were 
done with him, at last we caught him and 



316 

tied him in his box, the place from whence 
he came. After the monkey business was 
over, our supper was ready, we all sat 
down to supper, we ate all the puddings 
and sausages that was prepared for us in 
short order. We called for an additional 
supply; she fried more and brought them 
to us; we cleared the board the second 
time and called for more; the old woman 
she brought us a third supply, and we also 
called for brandy, and no brandy was to be 
had; we had drank his brandy bottle dry, 
he would give us no more drinl:, and said, 
that if we would quit eating and drinking, 
that if we would only clear out, he did not 
care if he would get pay for what we had 
or not; we assured the old man that we 
wanted to pay, and would pay all we al- 
ready had, and would pay for all we would 
call for; he should only get for us what we 
called for, we would pay for all; and we 
called for another mess of puddings and 
sausages, she cooked what she had, and 
we called for more — she said she had no 
more to cook, that we had ate all she had 
in the house. While we were paying our 
bills, some of the company went and took 



317 

old Reinecker's sign down, and hung it 
up at a weaver's sliop, about three hun- 
dred yards frooi the tavern, and wrote on 
it, "Nothing at all lor sale here" — this was 
done as a mark of humorist's, from the 
facts that they were ate and drank dry by 
us. We asked him, how much our bill was, 
the old fellow was so wrothy at u??, which 
confused his ideas so much that he could 
not tell what it was in the gross. 

We then took it per single man, and asked 
him if 50 cents per man would satisfy him, he 
said yes, so we paid him twelve dollars and 
fifty cents, we drove home, one by one, at in- 
tervals sufficiently long between to make our 
Irish gate-keeper rise and go to bed again be- 
tween our arrivals. That provoked him so 
much that the next morning he went to the 
board of directors and complainad that the de- 
vil might keep the gate among the Dutch there, 
they kept him up day and night, and he re- 
signed to them the trust they had reposed in 
him. He left the town and what became of 
him no body knows, and no body cared what 
became of him, all we cared for was to get 
him away. 

26* 



318 

Once upon a time, I went to Westminster to 
do a job of work; one day a gentleman and 
his lady, who are by law acknowledged vaga- 
bonds, came there to amuse the citizens of 
Westminster with their performance, the lady 
was to perform on the slack wire. She went 
through the manual exercise and a great many 
little capers; he performed on the violin while 
she was performing, and he had the camera 
obscura or the magic lamp, and other hocus 
pocus, &c. 

On the evening of their performance,me and 
sundry other lads we went to this performance, 
we took along with us a bucket full of water, 
and a large horse syringe, accompanied by the 
beau monde of the town. Well, when all was 
in the room, the actress at length got on the 
slack wire, and began by playing off some of 
her exploits; at length she came to the military 
part of the performance, when the word "fire" 
was given, I had prepared m3^self with the 
horse syringe full of water, I let her have it 
right on the false seat of honour; being some- 
what of a practioner at the art I made sure work, 
and brought my game to the floor. She gave 



319 

tongue by screaming and hollowing, her dear 
half he dropped the violin, on which he was 
scratching to fill up the interludes of her per- 
formance, and took the lady behind the curtain 
and came back and told the spectators that the 
wire performance was over, and expressed a 
sorrow that such an undecent liberty had been 
taken with the performer, and hoped that the 
like would not be done again. We spoke out 
and said we hoped not, and said that such peo- 
ple ought not to be in the room. He then pre- 
pared his magic lamp, and the landlady sat op- 
posite to us, and somewhat of a loquacious dis- 
position; she could not get done talking about 
the syringe business. I observed to my com- 
rades as soon as the lights were extinguished 
to give the magic lamp more splendor I would 
let her have a blast. And when the lights 
were put out for the purpose aforesaid I charg- 
ed the syringe chuck full, and let drive at the 
landlady, and took her hip into her face and 
mouth, and it came with such a force that it 
nearly took her breath from her. As soon as 
she had fairly recovered from her squirting 
match she sung out for the landlord, when he 
come into the room he inquired of her what 



320 

the matter was, she told him, and he asked 
where it came from, some said it came from 
one corner, and others alledofed it came from 
another quarter. While the landlord was look- 
ing about to find out where it really came 
from, the candle was blown out, which was in 
the neighborhood of the room where the 
landlord was, and he being somewhat in a 
quandary about the squirting business, and for 
the sake of gratifying his curiosity about it,hovV 
it felt, I let him have a squirt full butt on the 
ear. When he had received his portion of it 
he got in a passion, left the room abruptly, 
went down stairs to get a club to set things to 
rights. While the landlord was below trying 
to procure a cudgel, the showman, luckless 
wight, he came out from behind the curtain 
and began to make his comments on the im- 
propriety of such conduct at such a place; and 
in the midst of his exordmm I made a charge 
at him with my squirt, and squirted him right 
well, and the candles were all extinguished 
as though it were done by magic, and in this 
juncture the landlord he was in the act of com 
ing up stairs armed with a club, I let him have 
a second dab on the stairs. We then all rush- 



321 

ed down stairs, drove him before us, and I 
made the showman play the violin for us till 
nearly day, to satisfy us for our money which 
he had fobbed for the show,which we express- 
ed a full dissatisfaction at the performance 
of his show, and to satisfy us by playing the 
fiddle for us, and we danced stag dances till 
nearly day light, so ended this spree. 

Shortly after the above performance I had 
a job to do in Hanover for a grass widow, of 
the name of Koogler, she was building a house, 
the plastering of which I done, and while I was 
there I learned something of the traits in her 
character. She was one of the most ill natured 
creatures in the creation, crabbed, cross, ill 
contrived and stingy as the deuce. The old 
lady she had in her garden a very fine apricot 
tree, which had a very fine parcel of apricots 
on, it leaned about half over the fence into an 
adjoining lot, the apricots were about ripening, 
she observed to me that slie was afraid that the 
boys would steal her apricots for her; she was, 
as her fears run so high, that lest they might 
be stolen she was watching them every night. 
She took me into the garden one day to show 
me the apricots, and gave me one to taste, I 



322 
advised her to go to her next neighbor, a 
Mr. Nace, and borrow from him one of his 
large dogs, and chain the dog fast to the tree 
to prevent the boys from stealing the apricots; 
knowing that if she would get the dog which 
I had advised her to get that I would be likely 
to get a share of them myself. She succeeded 
in getting the dog from Mr. Nace, she chained 
him to the tree as I had directed her, and I 
seen the whole fun; about midnight I went into 
the adjoining lot wdth a stick, and would job 
it at the dog, and he was vicious and cross, he 
would fly at me with all the force in his body, 
and down he would shake the apricots, and 
the old woman she laid in a room next the gar- 
den, she heard the whole performance, and 
would hiss the dog and he would repeat his ef- 
fort with all his might, and down a parcel of 
apricots would come again; the more he forc- 
ed the chain the more he would shake the tree^ 
and the more apricots he made fall; I picked 
up all the apricots and stowed them away for 
my own special use and benefit. In the morn- 
ing I went to work at her house, she told me 
that some good for nothing fellow was at the 
tree and made the dog shake off all the apricots, 



323 

and took them away. I observed that it was 
a pity that the dog did not catch him; she was 
so full of it that I had to go with her into the 
garden to see the destruction, and showed me 
the apricots tlie dog shook off for her; I did 
not treat the lady quite as courteous as she 
treated me, for I did not show her the apricots 
1 had. She lamented over her loss, and asked 
me what she should do with them, I advised 
her to share them among her neighbors, which 
she did, she gave me a few^ and I am sure that 
the neighbors never before nor since ever got 
a single taste of her apricots. 

After that 1 went to Emmitsburgh to plas- 
ter a house for Dr. Annan, and while I 
was at that job one day, 1 observed a man 
of the name of Jacob Trenkle, he was in 
the habit of getting tipsey; he just had a 
skin full, and he went into a wheat patch of 
Mr. George Wirtcr's, he rolled ahfout and 
spoiled a good deal of wheat. I took a 
large horse syringe that the doctor had, 
and went into the lot and hunted up the lad; 
at last I found him, and I had the syringe 
charged in the dung yard; I gare him a 
shot; he got up and was blinded that he 



324 

could not see; he also labored under the 
intoxicating" influence of the liquor he had 
drank; he laid down again in the wheat 
patch, and I went back, got another charge 
and let him have it the second time; he 
got up and got two stones, one in each 
hand, and I run for it lor the dung yard; 
and after I had charged again, I went to 
meet him, and asked him what he intend- 
ed to do with the stones he had in his hands; 
he said, that he would knock my brains 
out; and I said if he made any such at- 
tempt, that I would shoot him; he threw 
at me with one of the stones, and I up 
syringe and took him into the mouth, and 
the force of it whirled him about so much? 
that the stone flew another direction. I 
run again and went into the building; he 
went home to get his gun for the par- 
pose of shooting me; he came with his 
gun, and inquired where I was. Robert 
Annan, he persuaded him not to mind it 
until evening — when evening came, he 
came to the tavern up town, which was 
then kept by Mr. Jacob Bohn, and I re- 
paired to it and got into contact with him, 
and made good friends with Mr. Trenkie — 



325 

After we had healed up our old sore, we sat 
down and began to play dominoes, and I beat 
him out, and quit him with a view to play anoth- 
er prank upon him. Another man took my 
place, and I got behind the chair of ''come 
across by Durney," as the folks used to call old 
Trinkle, and shook a showerof cow itch down 
the back of his neck. Ai'ter a while the cow 
itch began to operate, and in the meantime I 
undertook to show him how to play, and drop- 
ped some cow itch on his hands, and such anoth- 
er scratching match as old Trinkle had was 
nobody's business but his own. Somebody told 
the old fellow that it was cow itch, and it was 
pinned to my sleeve, which was the cause of 
another rumpus,5vvhich we putbver in a way hon- 
orable on all sides. J once played sein in my life 
time, in which I lost allimy'money ,and ten dollars 
worth of honor, and then I quit, and never play- 
ed since. The way it began was, Mr. B., of 
Hanover, H. R., H. W., M. D.,and myself set 
down at the tavern of John Amich, in Hano- 
ver, and played, as I have already stated, for 
money, until 1 was bursted. I then told them 
that my money was all gone, and I now would 
play upon honor; the company were all agreed 
that my honor was quite good enough; so I 
played away upon honor until I had lost nine 
or ten dollars. Said I to them, gentlemen I 
think my honoris gone far enough; I shall play 
no more, and I am determined to pay no more. 
27 



326 

Mr. B. said to me that he would play no more 
with me in the world. I told him I was very 
glad, that I was sure I never would play with 
him again, and so ended the sein playing for 
money and on honor. 

Sometime after I got a house to plaster for 
Mr. B., who had, in the meantime, moved to 
the town of Westminster. I iiad a journey- 
man working with me, and a laborer from Balti- 
more of the name of Donahoe. It was very 
warm weatlier, and we slept in the brewhouse. 
My journeyman thought he was a very smart 
sort of a fellow; he played off some pranks on 
the laborer by hanging a bucket full of water 
over the brewhouse which would spill over him 
as he opened the door. The next day the labor- 
er told me of it. I comforted him not to mind it, 
that I would match liim for it the next night; so 
I went the next day to an apothecary shop and 
bought 6^ worth of cow itch, and let my 
lads go to bed a little while before I went. It 
was on a very fine warm moon light night; one 
could easily lay witliout cover. Our bed stood 
along side of a window, my journeyman lay 
fast and soundly asleep. 1 souzed my bundle 
of cow itch over him right genteely. 1 laid down 
easily beside him, pretending to be asleep, and 
in the course of about five minutes he began to 
roll and to scratch, and wakened me by his fuss 
as he thouglit. I asked him what was the mat- 
ter with him.'' He said somebody had put horse 
hair into our bed; that it was killing him. This 



327 

wakened the laborer, he asked what was the 
matter? I told him I thought George was cra- 
zy. He got up and began to scratch and tear, 
and the brewer had a large bed of sand in the 
room, for the purpose of keeping the ale cool, 
which he kept in buith;s; he laid himself on the 
bed of sand, and finally buried himself in it, 
and rubbing himself with it. Some of the bot- 
tles had bursted in the sand, and tlie pieces 
were sharp. George cut himself with the glass 
while he was rubbing himself with it, and he 
kept on rubbing until day-light, and abused him- 
self so much that he could not work for two 
days. We examined the bed in the morning 
for horse hair, and could find none. I went to 
work, and in the course of the day I imparted 
to the laborer the fact that I had put cow itch 
on George. That piece of intelligence pleased 
him very much. I told the laborer I would 
give him a touch of something else in the course 
of a few days. George came to work after 
two days had elapsed from the cow itch spree. 
In two or three days after he had begun work, 
one night there came up a very heavy gust. I 
was at Bohn's tavern, at least five hundred 
yards from the brewery. I bulTetted the whole 
storm; George and the laborer laid in bed 
laughing at me for being caught in the rain. I 
told them that they would not laugh if they had 
seen what I had seen. George was curious to 
know what I could have seen that was an 



328 

equivalent for the shock I endured in fronting 
the storm? 1 told him tliat I saw an Indian 
dance, which has gratified me so much that I 
thought I would come ujd to let t'tiem know it. 
Said he, I never seen an Indian in my life. He 
said he would hke to see it. 1 told him him if 
he would hurry and go down to Bohn's tavern 
that they were dancing yet. 

I found his curiosity aroused, and he asked 
me how many Indians were there. I told 
him there were four in number, two men and 
two squaws. 1 have, said he, a great notion 
to get up and go to see them, and he asked the 
laborer if he would go along. The laborer 
said he had often seen them in Baltimore. 
Well, said George, I will go any how. Up 
he jumps, and put out for Bohn's tavern, and it 
was as dark as pitch, and raining as hard as it 
could pour, to see the Indian dance. Now 
Philip, said I, lock the door on him, and Philip 
Donohoo locked the door. By-and-bye George 
came tearing through the rain, dripping wet, 
and puffing and blowing, and we pretended, 
when he wrapped at the door, to be fast 
asleep, and let him stand in the rain about fif- 
teen minutes, until he was completely soaked. 
At last Philip got up and let him. I asked him 
if he had seen the Indians. He said not, that 
Bohn's were gone to bed. Then we had a good 
laugh at him, and he was too drunk to see that 



329 

he was sucked in. He was not satisfied. He 
went the next morning to see the Indians. He 
got up before sun-rise, went down to Bohn's 
and asked him where those Indians were. 
What Indians, said Mr. Bohn. Why, said 
George to Bohn, Otter said that there were 
Indians there at his house. There were no 
Indians here you fool, said Bohn to him, and so 
€nded the Indian business. 

The next affair was a lottery which I had a 
hand in. A certain old Dutchman, a cabinet 
maker, made a first rate bureau, and put it off 
by lottery. The bureau was put up at 40 dol- 
lars, and the lottery was drawn after all the 
chances had been disposed of by Pickle. Well 
a day was appointed to draw the lottery, and 
Mr. George Frankhauser was the holder of the 
fortunate number that drew the bureau. Then 
came the tug to deliver the bureau to the win- 
ner. Mr, Pickle asked me to haul the bureau 
down to the neighborhood of Westminster to 
the winner. I hired a horse and sled, and off 
Pickle and myselfstarted with the bureau. On 
the road I began to feel old Pickle's pulse 
about the propriety of sucking in the winner 
for a few dollars. The old fellow was agreed 
to any thing that would bring him a few dol- 
lars into his pocket. So I told him that I 
would make Frankhauser believe that Dr. By- 
renheit had won the bureau. At length we 
27* 



330 

came to Frankhauser's house. We stopped in 
the middle of the turnpike. Frankhauser came 
ont and asked wliohad won the bureau, and we 
told him Dr. Byrenheit. My God, said he, 
I was sure of w-inning- it myself. He admired 
it very much, and his wife came out to see it 
also, she allowed it was very pretty. I told 
Frankhauser that the road was so bad, tiiat I 
did not like to go on to Westminster to Byren- 
heit, that if he would give me my day's wages, 
pay Pickle five dollars, and keep it a secret, 
that we would unload it at his door. Agreed, 
said he, and down he planked the money to us, 
gave us a very good dinner, and some fine 
bounce, and then we started ofl' for home. In 
eighteen hundred and twenty four I removed 
from the city of Baltimore to the country, and 
fixed myself and family in the town of Eni- 
metsburg, in Frederick county. At which 
place I am still residing, and very probably 
shall finish my days here. 

The very first job I done in my line of bu- 
siness was to plaster the Seminary of Learning 
near the town, then under the Supcrintendance 
of the Rev'd. John Dubois, the present Bish- 
op of New York. While that work was go- 
ing on, I had many good hands at work under 
my charge, and one day one of my journey- 
men happened to take a seat at the breakfast 
table which did not exactly suit the views of 



331 

an Irishman of the name of McHenry, who 
thought that he was the rightful owner of the 
place at the table, which my journeyman had 
by mere accident taken possession of; McHen- 
ry he began to jaw about his place, as he call- 
ed it, and threatened that he would turn any 
body out of the room that in future would tres- 
pass upon his right in enjoying his place at the 
table: this menace raised my blood and 1 be- 
gan to let him have a squall, and as my jour- 
neyman was a man who had not been by nature 
an atlethic and robust made man, on the con- 
trary he was delicate made and very modest, 
I saw the necessity of taking his part; and I 
walked up to McHenry and to quiet the matter, 
just now to put me out instead of my journey- 
man, and he without any further ceremony up 
with a bowl full of hot coffee and throwed it 
into my face; this I considered as a war of de- 
fence on my part, and as soon as I could see, 
I siezed a hold of McHenry and hoisted him 
up and threw him lengthways upon the table, 
after two or three ups and downs I landed him 
among the fish, plates, and bowls, on the table, 
just the right way, and the way they were 
mashed and ground to pieces was a caution. 
This all happened in the absence of the Rev. 
Mr. Dubois. On his return home, a complaint 
was lodged against us as disturbers of the peace 



332 

and quiet of the institution; the Rev. Mr. Du- 
bois he held an enquiry into the matter, found 
McHenry guilty; gave mc an honorable dis- 
charge, and enjoined it on McHenry on fine of 
forfeiting his birth, if ever he said another 
word to me or any of my hands while I was 
there. 

The next thing that happened, that had mu- 
sic in it, to me was, I plastered a house for a 
Mr. J. S. in Adams County; the way it hap- 
pened was — one Sunday morning Mr. J. S. 
started to go to church, I was laymg on the 
porch reading, and amusing myself. Tlie ma- 
dam had put over the fire (which was a very 
fine one) theditmer-pot; when she had the din- 
ner on she laid herself down on the bed to 
take a nap: the chimney caught fire, at this 
juncture; J. S. happened to look: behind him 
and seen that the hoase was on fire, he wheel- 
ed about and came running back as hard as 
he could, he run past me into the house and 
run into the bedroom to secure his valuable 
papers; — the noise }\e made in the haste waken- 
ed his better half, slie rose up and in her rais- 
ing herself up she asked him in these words, 
'Svhy Johnny are the bumblebees after you" 
bumble bees, said he to her, the house is on 
fire. She got out; and at the remark he made, 
I jumped up and ran out to see how the matter 
was. And I saw that it was confined to the 



333 

chimney, I told her the chimney only was on 
fire; she went to the kitchen and got the salt 
box and landed the box and the salt into the 
fire; and the steam put the fire out in the chim- 
ney. Alter the danger was all over Mr. J. S. 
told me that he never had experienced a sever- 
er fright in his life. 

I once was called upon by the Reverend 
Louis De Barth, superior of Conewago, 
to do a job of plastering for him in his room; 
it was in the winter, and he considered it a 
particular job: he told me he would give me 
one dollar and fifty cents per day, and that I 
must hang on until it was done. I began the 
job and gave it the first coat, and when that 
was done, I told him that it would take about 
two days to dry, during that time I proposed 
to him I would go home, and when it was 
ready for second coating I would return and do 
it — with a view to lighten his expenses; to 
which proposition he objected, upon the ground 
that I would not return, and said that he would 
find me another job during the time allowed for 
drying. So I asked him what it was; he told me 
I should go along with him, and he led the way 
into the cellar; the repository of his wine, 
cider, apples and so forth: to stop rat holes in 
the wall. He gave me privilege to use any 
thing, in any manner I pleased; so I began to 
stop rat holes, and while my laborer was bring- 
ing me stuff, I sat myself down on a lot of 



334 

sand, aiid began to dig in it with my trowel, 
and at last I dug up along necked bottle, neatly 
sealed up. I held it up to the light, when the 
laborer came into tlie cellar, I asked him what 
he thought it was, he said it was wine, we 
agreed to decapitate the bottle and test its con- 
tents, and when vve had drank it, sure enough it 
was wine of a very fine quality; he then asked 
me what was to be done with the bottle. I told 
him we would break it up and stuti' the pieces 
of it into the rat holes, and in the course of ar 
hour another bottle shared the same fate as the 
first, and after awhile we slaughtered a third 
one; by the tiaie we had finished a third bottle, 
old Bunty he got pretty boozy, we also tried a 
few of father De Earth's apples; the cider we 
never disturbed it while we were stopping ral 
holes, we held the wine too high to have any 
thing to do witli cider, and in the course of 
that day we finished stopping rate holes. — 
While we were in the cellar, father De Earth 
was called away and was absent about a da} 
and a half; in that time I closed up all the ra' 
holes in the cellar, and had tore away a boot 
case which he wished removed in his room. 
While 1 was in tlie act of tearing away the 
book case I found two [)arcels of money wrap- 
ped up in paper, and they were both labelled 
in a language foreign to my own. I opened 
them and the one contained eighteen French 
crowns, and the other had five pieces of gold, 



335 

the value of which I also did not know; after 
I had seen their contents I wrapped them up 
again, and put them into my pocket until he 
sliould return; upon his return, I handed the 
money to him, he said that they were left by 
some of the Priests who had been there before 
him, and said that he knew nothing of it, he 
gave me five dollars for my finding it; in the 
morning after, he and I went into the cellar 
to see how I had stopped up the rat holes, he 
examined all as he went along, until we came 
into the wine cellar, he jocularly observed to 
me, that he hoped that I had not found out his 
wine. Ilaughingly replied, ohyes, I had lound 
it out; he asked me did 1 drink any, I told him 
I had drank two or three bottles of it, he told 
me that was right, as he had given me full 
privilege to help myself to any thing that was 
in it. 

I then put on the second coat in the room, 
and whitewashed it; after I had finished my job, 
father De Barth he planked down the cash, and 
I put out. 

The next thing that came into the way that 
afforded me fun, w^as while 1 was plastering the 
big house for the Sisters of Charity; an Irish- 
man who had just landed from the sod, who, 
was in the employ of the Sisters of Charity as 
a farm hand, came to me one day, to the house 
from the field next to the house, where he was 
engaged in harrowing, he had there came 



336 

across a terapin, which was a novelty to him, 
he took a stick and stuck it to the spot where 
he found the terapin, to find it again, said he to 
me. Bill I found a horse's foot down here and 
it is alive yet. I went with him to the field and 
when we came to the marked spot, the terapin 
was gone. We hunted about, and at last I 
found it. I invited his attention to him and he 
acknowledged that was it, why said I to liim, 
my dear fellow this is a terapin; said he I was 
sure it was a horse's foot, and observed that he 
liad never seen one before. 

I once worked at a job of plastering for an 
old gentleman near Waynesburg, who was ex- 
cessively close and stingy. I let a war hawk 
slip at him, and he never felt it, but the sum 
and substance of the business is, that I got four 
chickens to eat and he got the broth; it was 
got up under the following circumstances: he 
happened to have an attack of diorrhae, and he 
complained to me about it. I sympathized 
with him and told him that I had sutfered many 
inconveniences arising from it, and began a 
prescription for him; 1 advised that lie should go 
to Waynesburg and get a box of Anderson's 
pills, and take three of them for a dose, he ask- 
ed me where he could get them, 1 told him at 
Mr. Charles Smitl^'s store, and if they did not 
operate in two or tliree hours, to repeat the 
dose and take three more, so off he started, got 
the pills, and took them as I had directed him, 



337 

and they did not meet his wishes; I advised the 
otherSdose, he took them and they produced the 
effect desired. I then, to get a mess of chick- 
en, advised him to take cliicken broth; he liad 
a chicken killed, we got the chicken for break- 
fast, and my patient took the broth. I sug- 
gested to him to have two more chickens kill- 
ed, and to continue to take the broth to work 
off the medicine he had taken, and as he had 
experienced a considerable relief from the first, 
he had two more chickens killed, and he stuck 
to the broth, and at dinner we ate the two 
chickens. I liked the sport of eating the chick- 
ens, and he was fully as well pleased as 1 was 
with the broth, he expressed great satisfaction 
at the effects produced. I thought to spin my 
yarn as long as I could. I told him that if he 
would have another chicken killed and take the 
broth of that, that I would ensure him a sound 
man. So we had the chicken for supper and 
he held on to the broth, and it produced a very 
happy result. He allowed that he never expe- 
rienced such efficacy of medicine in his life. I 
finished my old tunker's job, he paid me for 
doing it, and I put out home. 

About this time I opened a shop in Em- 
metsburg, and, as my circumstances were of 
an ordinary character, I had to buy my li- 
quors by the gallon. 1 used to get them from 

, he was very kind to me; others 

that I also held in esteem, who are, in the 
28 



338 

main, pretenders only. At length my good 
old friend told me had a ten gallon keg; that I 
should take the whiskey hy the keg; that he 
would lend me the keg; that it would come 
cheaper to me tlian hy the gallon. I told him 
1 was agreed, that il' he would let me have the 
keg 1 would take good care of it. I then 
bought of him by the keg for better than a 
year. One dav he su2:ii:ested the idea to me 
that I should buy the keg from him. 1 told 
him it was hardly worth while, that 1 had it 
cheap enough as it was. I took a notion to see 
how much the keg actually would hold, it was 
then just empty, 1 took a measure and measured 
it, and it held nine gallons and a hall, scant 
measure. 1 took my keg over to have it filled,, 
and I asked him if that keg held ten gallons, 
he said yes, he thought it did, that it was a ten 
gallon keg. I told him 1 thought it looked 
rather slim, that I did not think that it held ten 
gallons. I bet you, said he me to me, the full 
of it that it does. 1 told Jiim that I would not 
hke to bet that much, that he knew its con- 
tents and 1 did not. He said no, that he had 
bought it for a ten gallon keg. Well, said he, 
will you bet it, that's the business. 1 
told him I did not much care, that I would bet 
him that it did not hold ten gaUons. He began 
lo measure it, and laughingly observed that 1 
would lose it. While measuring the keg, he 
began to be apprehensive that he might lose 



339 

the bet. He used to leave some in the measure. 
Said I to him I'll either win or lose all, will 
you go the keg too? He said yes. Said I, 
well tiien, we will go the whiskey, keg, brass 
cock, and all. Agreed, said he, and I discov- 
ered the big business, that he was not exactly 
using lair play in measuring. Come said J, my 
boy, measure fair. At the end of the whole 
aii'air, t!ie keg only held nine gallons and a half, 
and then I raised the laugh on him, sliouldered 
the keg. Well, said I, ! won the whole of the 
whiskey, keg, brass cock and all. Oh! Bill, 
said he, you will leave the keg. No indeed, 
not a hoop, said I to him, and walked home 
with my prize like a man, that's the way I 
fixed my friend. 

While 1 was employed in the plastering the 
house of Mr. Abraham Krise, in Adam's coun- 
ty, there was in the neighborhood of Mr. 
Rhodes's mill, a house whose inmates were 
candidates in a matrimonial point of view. One 
evening we all started off on a rabbit hunt, and 
in our rambles we came to tliis house, and we 
found, what is not every where, or at all times 
to be met with, every girl in the house had a 
beau. When we had learned how things were, 
we began to look about to see if any su!)ject 
for a litile fun and sport, could be met with. 
At 'ast 1 espied a gobler who was perched on 
an old stove chimney. Said I to the boys, if 
they would hide behind a stack of hay that 



340 

stood about fifteen yards from the house, I would 
show them a piece of sport. All the lads fix- 
ed themselves, and I approached the gobler to 
seize him; he sung out quit, quit. Said I, I will 
directly. 1 seized him and socked him down 
the chimney. When he got in contact with the 
fire on the hearth he raised a terrible fright 
among the boys and girls; he lashed about the 
fire with his wings at such a rate that it took 
them some time to recover the panic they had 
been thrown into. They ran out of the house, 
and I got down while this general confusion 
prevailed, and went and laid myself alongside 
of the fence near the house. At last they seen 
that it was the gobler; they came to the con- 
clusion that it was the smoke that had brought 
him down the chimney. They took him and 
placed him on the roost again from whence he 
came, when all was quiet. I slipped out from 
the place of my concealment, and seized the 
gobler a second time and souzed him down 
the chimney a second time, left them to enjoy 
the sport, and put out. 

While 1 was engaged in plastering at the col- 
lege, Mr. Dubois requested me to take his 
horse and ride over the mountain to Mr. Reed 
and Bonebreak to ensrasre for him two kilns 
of lime. On my way there I overtook a white 
man and a black man. The black man's arms 
were tied behind his back with a silk handker- 
chief. I asked the white man as I came up to 



341 

them, if he had caught a runaway? He said 
no, that the black nnan belonged to hinm. I ask- 
ed fiini the reason why he had !iim tied? He said 
that he had him tied for fear of Ids making his 
escape from him on the mountains. I asked 
him how far he was going on that road? He 
told me he was going as lar as Mr. Fisbury's, 
that he had some business there to settle. He 
asked me if my name was Otter? I told him 
yes, Otter was my name. I suppose, said he, 
you don't know me? I said to him that I did 
not. He asked me if 1 ever had worked at Mil- 
'ierstown? I told him I had. He then asked if 
'I ever knew one George McCullough that 
worked there? The moment he mentioned his 
name I recognized the man, and answeredhim 
that I knew him. He then told me that he had 
caught that negro coming down the mountain, 
and tliat he believed him to be a runaway. He 
asked me what I would give him for him hap- 
hazard? I told him that I had no notion to buy 
Jiim, not knowing if he was a runaway or that 
there was any reward on him. Fie told me he 
v^'ished me to ride alonsr to the tavern and try 
to get out of the negro what he was and who 
be was. I went with liim to the tavern, and 
when 1 was tliere I called the negro out and 
asked him who he belonged to? He told me 
that he belonged to one Mr. Gelwicks, in Vir- 
ginia. I asked him how many children Mr. 
Gelwicks had? He said he did not know 
28* 



342 

Said 1 to him, you belong to no such man at all; 
and asked him to tell the truth, to whom he be- 
longed? He said, well I belong to Mr. Golds- 
borougli. To find my lad out, said 1, does he 
live in the town or country? He told me Mr. 
G. lived in the town. I asked hiui how many 
slaves has iNlr. G? He said he had a good 
many. How many, said I, to elicit a positive 
answer from him? He said he did not know 
rightly how many he had. I observed that it 
was not worth while to say another word to 
him as he was determined not to speak the truth 
about it. I took him into the bar room, and 
told George McCuUough that I could get noth- 
ing out of him. He swore he would take him 
on to Baltimore and sell him. I told him that 
he dare not do that,Tor the laws of the country 
would punish him for such an act. He asked 
me to tie him, for, said he, you know more 
about it than I do. I told him if he would get 
me a rope that I would tie him. He asked the 
landlady for a piece of rope. She said she had 
none, but allowed that she could let him have 
a piece of home-made linen, if that would an- 
swer. I told her it would She produced the 
linen, a strip about as broad as my hand, and I 
tied the negro's arms on his back. While I 
was tying the negro's arms I told him to try to 
make his escape from that man, for sure as guns 
he would take him to Baltimore and sell him to 
the Georgia traders, and if he effected his es- 



343 

cape to take refuge in the mountains. He got 
considerably alarmed at the piece of intelligence 
which 1 had imparted to him. He promised 
faithfully that he would try to make his escape 
and flee to the mountains. I took him after he 
was tied into the bar room. George McCul- 
lough called for something to drink. I drank, 
and in turn called for half a pint of whiskey, 
which made my good old friend pretty well 
•how come you so. I inquired at him where he 
was going to. He said he was going across 
the country, to a Mr. Fisher's. I wanted to go 
to Mr. Bonebreak's to buy lime; we went to- 
gether until we came to the lane that leads to 
Mr. Fisher's. I bid him good bye. I pursued 
my road, and he steered his course for Mr. 
Fisher's. In about one hour's ride I came to 
Mr. Bonebreak's the man from whom I wanted 
to buy my lime. I went into the meadow where 
they were making hay, and I asked if Mr. Bone- 
break was there.^ They told me no that the 
old man was not there, and that his two sons 
were in pursuit of a runaway negro who had 
bent his course towards the mountains. I ask- 
ed them how the negro was dressed.'' They 
said that he had no hat on, and that he had two 
rags on his arms. I asked which way he went? 
They showed me the course, and I hitched my 
horse and started after the boys across the coun- 
try. I went about half a mile, and I met the boys 
on the back track. I asked them if they had 



344 

caught the negro? They said that they had 
not. I asked them the direction he went? They 
showed me, and I put out after him with a dog 
of the spaniel breed to assist me in the pursuit^ 
and on whom I mainly depended as he was one 
among tlie finest of that species of dogs. I 
got on his track, and pursued him to a large 
barn at the foot of the mountain, tlie barn was 
of logs, and rather in a state of dilapidation. 
The gable ends were both open, and as I got 
up at the one gable end he got down at the 
other, and he made for the woods, and I hissed 
my dog Ponto on him, and as soon as the hiss 
was out of my mouth, my dog tlew at him, and 
seized him, and held on to him until I came up 
to him. When 1 came up to him 1 said well 
you are here. He said yes. I asked him how 
he got away? He said that man whose captive 
he was, called at a house and asked if Mr. Fish- 
er was at home, and being informed that he was 
not at home, he hitched the black man to the 
post where horses were generally hitched, at 
the piece of linen which I had tied his arms 
with, and Mr. McCullough laid himself down 
on the bench, and the weather was very w^arm; 
he fell asleep, and I began chopping the linen 
backwards and forwards until it broke in two, 
and when I w^as free I started off and run through 
the orchard as hard as I could run, and lost my 
hat in the orchard, and did not take time to 
pick it up. I asked him how he liked to go 



345 

home? He said he did not care much about it. 
i asked him if the dog had bit him? He said 
no, that he held him by the trowsers. He ad- 
mired the dog's performance, and allowed that 
that dog was worth money. I said yes he was 
so. I then asked him, if ever he had been at 
Emmetsburg? He said he never was there, but 
that he knew a man there. I asked him who 
that man was? He said Mr. McBride, the con- 
stable. I asked him where he learned to know 
Mr. McBride? He said at his master's house, 
that Mr. McBrde had often been there. He 
still stuck to it that he belonged to Mr. Golds- 
borougli. I found that the black rascal was 
determined to lie. I marched him oif for Mr. 
Bonebreak's. I engaged my lime, and then 
started off and crossed the mountain that night 
with my runaway lad. I cautioned him not to 
try to run away from me that if he did that my 
dog would tear him to pieces. He said he 
would not make the attempt. I told him if he 
did not that 1 would not tie him. So I march- 
ed over the mountains free from any fetters. 
When I came home it was past one o'clock at 
night. I gave him something to eat, and put 
him and the dog Ponto in a room and kept him 
there until morning. In the morning I walked 
down to Mr, McBride's to walk up to see the 
black boy. When he came into the room 
where he was I asked Mr. McBride if he knew 
that negro? He said he did, that he belonged 



346 

to Mr. H., in this county. I gave the negro 
his breakfast and locked him and Ponto, his 
companion, up in a room, mounted my horse, 
rode to Mr. H's. house, and asked him if he 
had lost a negro? He said lie had, and walked 
out into another room. Wliile lie was gone 
out I discovered a bundle of handbills laying on 
the stove, and took one of them and put it into 
my hat. By this time he came into the room, 
and asked me where I lived.'' I told him that 
1 lived in Emmetsburg, and asked him if it was 
his negro what he would give.'' He told me 
that he would pay me well for my trouble, and 
ordered his horse and we started for Emmets- 
burg. VVe came to my house, I opened the 
room, brought the negro out, and asked him if 
that was his negro. He said he was, and ask- 
ed me where I got him.' I told him that I ap- 
prehended him in Pennsylvania; that a man had 
him in possession, that he was going to sell him, 
that the negro runaway from him, and that I 
had caught him. He asked me what my charges 
were for the apprehension, and delivery of his 
negro.-^ I told him I thought he knew what 
was right, judging tiiat he would come up to 
the notch of his advertisement in which he of- 
fered a reward of twenty dollars, iie said if 
he would give me ten dollars that that sum 
would be enough for my tiouble I told him 
that I felt no disposition to take up any man's 
runaway negro for that sum. He then said 



347 

that ten dollars was all the money he had with 
him, and when he came to town again he would 
give me some more. I seen Mr. H. in Em- 
metsburg in about three weeks after that, ap- 
proaehed him and hinted to him the balance 
that he owed me; and asked him how his negro 
man came on? He said lie came on very well, 
but he would not be hinted at. Mr. H. came 
again in the course of a few weeks, and I was 
determined to bring our negro runaway busi- 
ness to a close, and went to him and asked him 
how his negro man come on? Very well, very 
well indeed. Then how is it about that little 
balance between you and 1? Oh, said he, I paid 
you. Well, said I, you don't intend to pay 
me any more, that's all I w^ant to know? He 
said he had paid me. I walked up town to a 
squire shop and took out a w^arrant against Mr. 
H. for a balance of ten dollars. The w^it 
was placed into the hands of a constable, w^ho, 
in short order, had Mr. H. before the magis- 
trate. The squire opened the case, and read 
the charge preferred by me against Mr. H., a 
balance of ten dollars for catching a runaw^ay 
negro. He said he had paid Mr. Otter all he 
owed him. The squire asked Mr. H. how 
much he had paid me? He said he had paid me 
ten dollars. The magistrate observed to him 
that the charge was a balance; to which he re- 
plied he had not made any contract for any 
more, and plead payment in full. The squire 



348 

asked me if I could prove a contract? I told 
him I thought I could. He asked me where 
my witness was? I told him I believed f had 
him in my pocket. I put hand to pocket, pull- 
ed out Mr. H's. advertisement, and placed it 
before the magistrate as the evidence on which 
I based my suit of action. The squire asked 
him if that was his advertisement and the re- 
ward therein offered? He said it was, but plead 
that he never put them up; to which I observ- 
ed that I never had put it up, but that it was 
up now. The squire gave me a judgment for 
ten dollars against Mr. H., and when I had judg- 
ment against liim he paid me like a man, and 
thus ended this spree. 

I once got a parcel of conies, and they were, 
as all are, very pretty animals; and they are 
somewhat mischievous. I had to barricade the 
warren for fear of their being torn by dogs*, 
and while I was engaged as above stated in re- 
pairing their warren, a certain Mr. M. M.came 
along, and he fell in love with their appearance, 
and asked me how many of them I had? 1 did 
not tell him the exact number. Said he to me, 
making the question as impressive as he could, 
well Bill, what will you take for a him and a 
her} I told him tliat I would take one dollar 
for a him and a her, repeating his word. He 
allowed that a dollar was too much for a him 
and a her. I told him that I would not take 
any thing less for them. 



349 

Now for the celebrated Woodsborough 
spree, which took me a full half a day to get 
through, and a good part of the night into the 
bargain. The way it commenced was as ac- 
cidental to me as it was to the hands who were 
involved in it. It happened the day after the 
election in eighteen hundred and thirty four. 
As I was going on to Mr. Bowers to plaster 
his house for him, the town of Woodsborough 
lay in my way, and when I came to the town, 
I stopped at the tavern kept by the widow 
Yantis. Little did I think when I stopped, of 
cutting a single caper. As soon as I had put 
foot into the tavern, the political inquisitive 
fellows asked me the result of the election in 
the Emmetsburg district, I told them that the 
Jackson party had lost ground. That piece 
of news pleased some, and others again it did 
not please. There were in the bar room two 
Clay men, who had not yet gone home from 
the election, they were a little touched with 
Jackson tea, and a Jackson man, who also had 
a rip. He was a hanger on, for the whole 
three were farmers. The two Clay-men ap- 
peared to be very liberal in their manners, and 
the Jackson-man was a very close, stingy, 
miserly sort of a fellow. One of the Clay- 
men asked the other who I was. He told him 
I was Otter, from Emmetsburg, the plasterer. 
He took a look at me, and allowed that I was 
very big fellow. He felt his keeping as I 
29 



350 

have already said. He told his comrade, not- 
withstanding my size, that he believed that he 
could wliip me. All this conversation I over- 
heard, but never let on I heard them. I tliousrht 
to give him a hint. I told one ot my comrades 
that the Clay-men, at least all tliose whom I 
knew, were such rascals, that the Jackson- 
men had no chance any more among them. 
He took the bait intended for him. He got up 
and said that was a lie, there were as good 
Clay-men as Jackson-men. I told him if there 
were any such, tliat I never knew them. His 
comrade begged him not to mind it, that he 
knew that 1 meant no harm in wl)at I said, and 
that he Imew me very well, which interposi- 
tion of his comrade in my behalf, only had a 
tendency to raise his dander the higher. He 
said that he could whip me, even if 1 was as 
big as the house. I told him that I could not 
fight, and never did intend to fight, but I can 
beat any Clay-man belonging to the party in 
the whole United States, at hutting. 

This wide spread banter he could not brook. 
He pronounced it a lie. Those who wanted 
to see fun, urged him to take a butt wiih me. 
He said he was no bull, and could not stand it. 
Well, said I, 1 cannot stand fighting, so there 
is no danger of our hurting one another. He 
still kept harpmg on his favorite theme, that he 
would like to have a crack at me. At length 
some of the fellows worked upon him to give 



551 

me a wiper. Well, said he, I don't care, I 
will take a butt with you anyhow. Well, said 
I, take oft' your hat. By this time 1 was fully 
determined to give him a good one. 1 caught 
hold on his two ears, and he caught hold on 
mine, and I gave him a rouser that sent him 
heels over head on the floor. This created a 
good deal of laughter among the spectators of 
the scene before them. 

This performance raised his dander to the 
highest pitch, and I complained of my head 
very much. They urged him on to take ano- 
ther crack, and wanted to persuade him to try 
it again. I told them that I would rather not, 
that as soon as I butted one man down, that 1 
felt offish, and invited him up to the bar to 
take a drink, and make good friends. No, 
said he, I am not satisfied, you must give me 
another chance. I still pretended to be rather 
off", and told him that if he w^ould treat I would 
give him another chance. He agreed to treat 
with a view to get another butting. I begged 
of him not to butt too hard. He said by swear- 
ing an oath, that he would butt all he knew^ 
We took our usual ear hold, and I butted all I 
knew, and laid him flat on the floor a second 
time. When he got up, he appeared a little 
bewildered. His laboring under a kind of 
stupor, which was occasioned Irom the blow I 
gave him, gave his general phiz rather a com- 
ical kind of appearance, which created a great 



352 

deal of laughter, sport, and much amusement 
to the company. I called on him to pay the 
treat he promised, and he swore he would 
whip me. He paid the treat, rolled up his 
sleeves, and was lor making at me. I told him 
that if he struck me, that I would have another 
butt at him. His comrades persuaded him not 
to mind it. I got him up to the bar, and got 
the old Jackson-man, whom I have taken no- 
tice of in the commencement of the story. 
The company all were agreed that I should 
make that old fellow treat in turn. That he 
would drink until all was blue,\ when he could 
drink for nothing. So I asked him to drink, 
and sure enough he took his horn like a man. 
As it seemed by consent of the whole compa- 
ny, that I should get him to treat, I called in 
vain, he refused to treat, and said he had drank 
enough, thanked me, and did not wash to drink 
any more. I told him in terms not to be mis- 
understood, that if he did not treat in turn and 
that the whole company, that I would be under 
the necessity of giving him a butting. He 
said I had better not. I told him that it was 
the sense of the whole company, that he should 
treat or take a butting. He said he had suffi- 
cient. Well, said I, are you going to treat or 
not. He answered me he would not treat. 
Well, said I, then you must take a butting, and 
I caught him by the ears, and gave him a tre- 
mendous butt and knocked him as stiff as a po- 



351 

ker. He fell against the wall, and as he was 
in the act of falling, his eyes rolled in his head 
and a good deal of the white in them ap- 
peared. When he recovered a little, he went 
in quest of a magistrate to have himself righted. 
The squire refused to give him law for the 
butt he got, and I am at a loss to determine 
whether butting would at all be recogniz- 
ed in law, or not. The law defines an as- 
sault and battery very clearly, and am rather 
inclined to think that in its definition it does not 
reach butting, and I am sure that butting is no 
species of felony of any kind whatever. What 
the real cause was that he could get no law 
to protect him I cannot tell. But the way I 
sent him against the wall was a caution. 
When I had stiffened my old Jackson-man, I 
turned on my Clay friend again. They urged 
him to give me another flyer at butting, tliat he 
should not think himself conquered. He al- 
lowed my head was too hard for his, and that 
inasmuch as I had failed in making the old 
Jackson-man treat, that I should pay a treat 
myself Agreed, said I. Come all ye that 
thirst, and I treated the whole company. I 
told him that T was very glad that the old 
Jackson-man was gone, that my head felt like 
a poor man's garret, that it was full of lumber. 
Yes, and God knows, says he, my head aches 
too. The company agreed that we should take 
another butt, and by mutual consent then should 
29* 



354 

give it up. I told them that I was agreed, 
that my head could not ache worse after it 
than it does at present. They got him worked 
up to the sticking point, and we took another 
whack, and I knocked him against the bar ta- 
ble as stiff as a poker. 

We allwent up to the bar, and I insisted that it 
was his turn to treat the company, to be even 
with me, that the company drank last at my 
expense. We all came to the conclusion to 
give Mr. Lind,also a tavern keeper in Woods- 
borough, a call, and wind up our spree there. 
Mr. Lind lived about a quarter of a mile from 
Mrs. Yantis, and as soon as the idea was sug- 
gested to go to Mr. Linds, all liands were im- 
mediately agreed to the proposition. The two 
Clay-men felt a disposition to take a gig and 
ride down. I was full of frolic, and wished 
to shew out some of the blossoms of the wild 
oats, which I felt at this time disposed to sow, 
being a Jackson-man myself, and the whole 
mess of us on a Jerry. 1 proposed to the two 
Clay-men that if they would pay me a bottle of 
French brandy when we came to Mr. Lind's 
tavern, that I would take the gig shafts and 
haul them down through the town myself As 
soon as I made this proposition to haul them 
down myself, they agreed that they would pay 
me the bottle of French brandy. The bargain 
was struck, the gig was brought before the 
door. As soon as the gig was ready, I got in- 



355 

to the shafts in good earnest, to let them see 
that nothing was wanting on my part. The 
passengers took their seats. The one he fold- 
ed up his arms and laid them across his breast, 
his legs crossed, and leaning backwards, as if 
determined to enjoy the ride in luxury. The 
other was more of a romp, he made no particu- 
lar parade about the contemplated ride. After 
they were seated, I enquired of them in these 
words: 

"Gentlemen are you ready," they responded 
in the affirmative. Said I stop a little till I 
spit in my hands, and, as I made the motion, 
aided by a small jerk at the shafts, and letting 
them go at the same time, my passengers took 
a sudden notion to go up, instead of down 
town, and heels over head they both went out 
of the hind part of the gig, and as the gig turn- 
ed a summerset, one of them, the fellow who 
sat careless, seized the springs of the top part of 
the gig, landed himself by the aid of the springs 
and his powerful exertion, on his feet. Said 
he, that goes "pretty and nice." The other one 
fell on the back part ofhis head, neck,and shoul- 
ders and was terribly staved. He laid senseless 
on the street for a short time. We carried the 
old fellow into the tavern, sent for Dr. Sinners 
to examine him, he came, had no idea of our 
spree, allowed to wait a while, to see what the 
probable result might be. He left us, and after 
a short time came back, we then told him of 



556 

our performance. He said, under such cir- 
cumstances, the better plan was to let him re- 
main as he was, labouring under some excite- 
ment, kept up from the free use of brandy, and 
allowed, if necessary, to take some blood from 
him in the morning. Then came the time for 
censure, some said I done it purposely, and I 
alleged that I was not well broke to the shafts, 
and, for myself, ascribed the whole to the want 
of a belly band, so ended that spree, and it was 
the last. In it I sowed all my wild oats. I 
have arrived at an age when all men become 
grave. I feel that time is making his inroads 
on me as well as all other mortals, being now 
in the forty-seventh year of my age. 

In the course of my mechanical pursuits as 
a plasterer, working as master of my trade, I 
have kept a record of every house I plastered, 
as well as all other buildings, such as churches, 
colleges, academies, and so forth. I began for 
myself in the year 1810, during which time 1 
plastered two hundred and three houses, in- 
cluding thirty-two churches, five colleges, two 
academies, and one market house, and all the 
money that they came to, was the neat sum of 
fifteen thousand three hundred dollars, and am 
still a poor man, without my earnings, having 
a large family, which run away with the beans 
to support them. 

In the spring of eighteen hundred and thirty- 



357 

five, the citizens of Emmettsburg conferred on 
me their best gift, elected me burgess of the 
town, by a very handsome majority over my 
opponent, and have, as far as my ability allows, 
discharged the duties entrusted to me, without 
favor, affection, or partiality. 



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